[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3896-S3897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Warner, Ms. 
        Landrieu, Ms. Collins, Mr. Inouye, and Mr. Roberts):
  S. 648. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to 
health professions programs regarding the practice of pharmacy; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I am pleased to reintroduce the Pharmacy 
Education Aid Act along with my colleagues, Senator Enzi, Senator 
Johnson and others. Last year, the Senate recognized and acted to 
address the growing, nationwide shortage of pharmacists, by creating a 
demonstration program under the National Health Service Corps whereby 
pharmacists agree to serve in rural and medically underserved areas in 
exchange for partial loan repayment. I commend my colleagues for 
responding in such a strong, bipartisan way to this critically 
important health care issue. The bill I am introducing today, the 
Pharmacy Education Aid Act seeks to build on that bipartisan step while 
taking a multi-faceted approach to the problem of workforce shortages 
in the pharmacy sector.
  The December 2000 Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA, 
report, ``The Pharmacist Workforce: A Study of the Supply and Demand 
for Pharmacists'' concluded that due to the rapid increase in demand 
for pharmacists and our limited ability to expand the number pharmacy 
education programs to train more pharmacists, the shortage was unlikely 
to abate without significant changes to the current system.
  Pharmacists represent the third largest and most trusted health 
professional group in the United States. In 2000, 190,000 pharmacists 
were in practice. While this figure is expected to grow to 224,500 by 
2010, demand for pharmacists is expected to continue to outpace supply.
  These shortages, while particularly acute in rural and medically 
underserved areas, are felt throughout of health care system. A 
November 2001 GAO report found that, on average, hospitals report 21 
percent of their pharmacist positions are currently unfilled. Vacancy 
rates are even higher in federal health systems, such as the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and the Indian Health 
Service.
  The Pharmacy Education Act seeks to address these chronic shortfalls 
in the supply and distribution of pharmacists by building upon Title 
VII of the Public Health Service Act, with particular emphasis on 
students with the greatest financial need.
  In addition to enhancing students' opportunities to pursue an 
education in pharmacy, the bill also makes available much needed 
resources to Colleges of Pharmacy to upgrade and expand facilities and 
laboratory space as well as to recruit and retain talented faculty to 
educate future generations of pharmacists.
  As Congress works to provide a Medicare prescription drug benefit, 
the need for more pharmacist involvement in health care decision 
making, including medication therapy management, formulary development 
and drug utilization review, will be essential to its long-term 
success. We must address the pharmacist shortage now. As such, I look 
forward to working with my colleagues towards expeditious consideration 
and passage of this timely and important legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that a letter of support be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:
                                                February 21, 2003.
     Hon. Judd Gregg, Edward Kennedy, Billy Tauzin, John Dingell, 
       Michael Bilirakis, Sherrod Brown.
       The undersigned associations and organizations urge you to 
     ensure Americans continue to have access to comprehensive 
     pharmacy services. During the 107th Congress you recognized 
     how important it is to ensure enough pharmacists are 
     available to care for our nation's citizens, especially the 
     most vulnerable. We were very grateful that the House 
     introduced two bills and the senate passed one bill, all 
     addressing the supply and distribution of pharmacists. We 
     request your support for similar legislation that is soon to 
     be introduced during the 108th Congress. Helping the nation's 
     colleges and schools of pharmacy increase their educational 
     capacity is an important way of assuring access to this 
     critical health care professional.
       ``The Pharmacist Workforce: A Study of the Supply and 
     Demand for Pharmacists,'' released in December 2000 by the 
     Department of Health and Human Service was just a starting 
     point for raising public awareness of the growing demand for 
     pharmacists. The American Hospital Association released a 
     study in April 2002 that showed vacancy rates for pharmacists 
     in hospitals and health systems exceeded that of nurses. 
     Recent pharmacy workforce reports from North Carolina, Oregon 
     and Washington make it clear that there are imbalances in the 
     supply of pharmacists in rural vs. urban areas. These 
     reports, and others acknowledge that, like the general 
     population, the pharmacist workforce is aging, placing 
     communities at risk of losing access to pharmacy services.
       Congress, in some recent Medicare drug benefit proposals, 
     increases the demand for pharmacists by recognizing the 
     benefits they bring to health care delivery. Retrospective 
     drug utilization review, formulary development, medication 
     therapy management, and prescribing protocols are some of the 
     mechanisms included in proposed legislation. All these 
     mechanisms are dependent on or directly involve a pharmacist. 
     A Medicare prescription drug benefit will dramatically 
     increase the number of prescriptions dispensed. As a result, 
     pharmacists will serve an increasingly important role in 
     utilization control and medication therapy management. This 
     will only place additional workforce pressure on a health 
     profession already in high demand.
       The President also increases the demand for pharmacists 
     with his proposals to expand access to health care and 
     improve health through health promotion activities. Colleges 
     and schools of pharmacy educate and graduate a health care 
     professional that is finding growing practice opportunities 
     across a wide range of clinical and community settings. 
     Supported by public and private grants and funding, colleges 
     and schools of pharmacy are working with community-level 
     health care providers to improve patient safety, boost 
     immunization rates, increase patient compliance for 
     treatments associated with chronic illness, and through 
     health promotion activities, better the health and well being 
     of our nation.
       Increasing the supply of pharmacists is not something that 
     can be accomplished overnight. We know that you face many 
     challenges and competing priorities during the 108th 
     congress. your support and leadership will help meet the 
     demand for the services of an exceptionally knowledgeable 
     health care professional and ensure future access. We 
     recommend you accomplish this by developing and passing 
     legislation that will assist the nations' colleges and 
     schools of pharmacy to increase their educational capacity.
       Thank you for your continued support of pharmacy education 
     and the pharmacy profession, and for your efforts to improve 
     the health and well being of all Americans.
       Academy of Managed Care Pharmacists (AMCP)
       American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
       American College of Apothecaries (ACA)
       American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
       American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA)
       American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)
       American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (AHSP)
       Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA)
       References: Oregon Health Workforce Project ``Pharmacist 
     Workforce 2002: A Sourcebook,'' December 2002; UNC Cecil G. 
     Sheps Center for Health Services Research ``The Pharmacist 
     Workforce in North Carolina,'' August 2002; Washington 
     Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board

[[Page S3897]]

     ``Health Care Personnel Shortage: Crisis or Opportunity,'' 
     2002; GAO-02-137R ``Supply of Health Workers''; Department of 
     Health and Human Services ``The Pharmacist Workforce: A Study 
     of the Supply and Demand for Pharmacists,'' December 2000; 
     The American Hospital Association, ``In Our Hands: How 
     Hospital Leaders Can Build A Thriving Workforce,'' April 
     2002; Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
     Occupational Employment Statistics.
                                  ____

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I rise to speak about a bill to address a 
significant problem in our Nation's healthcare delivery system--the 
growing shortage of pharmacists. I am joined by my distinguished 
colleague from Rhode Island, Senator Reed, in the introduction of the 
Pharmacy Education Aid Act of 2003.
  Why is the shortage of pharmacists in our Nation such an important 
concern, and why is this legislation necessary? It is because 
pharmacists are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery 
of quality healthcare, and our academic institutions are currently 
unable to supply the needed pharmacists. This critical link in our 
healthcare system is being stretched precariously thin. In December 
2000, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, HHS, issued a report 
which confirmed the shortage of licensed pharmacists in this country.
  I am particularly concerned about the shortage of pharmacists in 
rural and frontier areas like Wyoming. According to the HHS study, ``a 
threat to the rural pharmacists supply has more dire implications since 
in many cases, the pharmacist may be the only available health 
professional.'' We must do more to increase the number of pharmacists 
serving rural areas.
  As the HHS study highlighted, we must take action now to expand the 
pipeline for licensed pharmacists. The Pharmacy Education Aid Act of 
2003 will do so by increasing the likelihood that an individual will 
pursue an education as a pharmacist, that the pharmacy schools will be 
able to provide them with a quality education, and that pharmacists 
will work in facilities having the hardest time recruiting them.
  What does the shortage of pharmacists mean to many Americans? It 
means the closure of local pharmacies. It means a decrease in patient 
counseling and education. It also means an increase in the potential 
for medication errors.
  What will the Pharmacy Education Aid Act mean to many Americans--
particularly those in medically underserved areas? It will mean 
restoring a critical link in their access to quality pharmacy care. It 
also will mean better healthcare overall.
  Last year, the Senate passed this bill unanimously. I look forward to 
working with my colleagues this year on the speedy passage of this bill 
out of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and by 
the Senate.
                                 ______