[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1707-S1708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING RxIMPACT DAY

  Mr. TESTER. Madam President, as the cochair of the Senate Community 
Pharmacy Caucus, I rise to recognize the fifth annual NACDS RxIMPACT 
Day on Capitol Hill. This is a special day where we recognize 
pharmacy's contribution to the American healthcare system. This year's 
event, organized by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, 
takes place on March 13-14. Hundreds from the pharmacy community--
including practicing pharmacists, pharmacy school faculty and students, 
State pharmacy leaders and pharmacy company executives--will visit 
Capitol Hill. They will share their views with Congress about the 
importance of supporting legislation that protects access to community 
and neighborhood pharmacies and that utilizes pharmacists to improve 
the quality and reduce the costs of providing health care.
  Advocates from 37 States have travelled to Washington to talk about 
their contributions in over 50,000 community pharmacies nationwide. 
These important health care providers are here to urge Congress to 
recognize the value of pharmacists and protect access to these 
medication experts as a part of

[[Page S1708]]

our health care delivery system. And just as these providers travelled 
to meet with us, over 100 Members of Congress have toured a local 
pharmacy over the past 5 years.
  Patients have always relied on their local pharmacist to meet their 
health care needs. The local pharmacist is a trusted, highly accessible 
health care provider deeply committed to providing accurate 
prescriptions, catching possible drug interactions and helping patients 
take medications as prescribed.
  As demand for health care services continues to grow, pharmacists 
have expanded their role in health care delivery, partnering with 
physicians, nurses and other health care providers to meet their 
patients' needs. Innovative services provided by pharmacists do even 
more to improve patient health care. Pharmacists are highly valued by 
those that rely on them most--those in rural and underserved areas, as 
well as older Americans, and those struggling to manage chronic 
diseases. Pharmacy services improve patients' quality of life and 
health care affordability. By helping patients take their medications 
effectively and providing preventive services, pharmacists help avoid 
more costly forms of care later. Pharmacists also help patients 
identify strategies to save money, such as understanding their pharmacy 
benefits, using generic drugs and obtaining 90-day supplies of 
prescription drugs from local pharmacies. The importance of medication 
adherence and the effectiveness of local pharmacists in delivering 
patient care is resonating with policymakers.
  Pharmacists are the Nation's most accessible healthcare providers. In 
many communities, especially in rural areas, the local pharmacist is a 
patient's most direct link to health care. Eightly-six percent of rural 
Americans reside within a 10-mile radius of a sole community pharmacy. 
Usually these pharmacists are substantially closer than their 
physicians. Pharmacists are one of the most trusted professionals. 
Pharmacy has a long history of receiving, filling, billing and 
dispensing prescriptions in tandem with patient counseling. Utilizing 
their specialized education, pharmacists also play a major role in 
medication therapy management, disease-state management, immunizations, 
health care screenings, and other health care services designed to 
improve patient health and reduce overall health care costs.
  As the face of neighborhood health care, pharmacies across the Nation 
offer these and other cost saving programs and services to patients. 
For more than a century, pharmacies and pharmacists have made a 
difference in the lives of Montanans and all Americans through these 
important patient care services, and it is critical we work to support 
their unique contributions.
  As we refine health care reform and seek new strategies to improve 
health and reduce costs, pharmacists will play a critical role. They 
help patients adhere to their medications and that improves health 
outcomes and reduces the risks of adverse events and unnecessary costly 
hospital readmissions and emergency room visits. Pharmacists as 
providers with a comprehensive understanding of a patient's medical 
needs, are uniquely qualified to work with patients to help manage all 
of their medications and play an essential role in helping them take 
their medications as prescribed. Unfortunately, only one half of 
Americans living with chronic diseases adhere to their drug regimens. 
This patient non-adherence costs the Nation's economy an estimated $290 
billion each year, not to mention the avoidable loss of quality of life 
for patients and their loved ones. Congress recognized the important 
role of local pharmacists when it included a Medication Therapy 
Management, MTM, benefit in Medicare Part D. As we have seen the 
increasing value of this benefit in improving patient health outcomes, 
I support community pharmacy's efforts to strengthen the MTM benefit so 
it is available for seniors and others struggling with chronic 
conditions and other illnesses.
  Today, I celebrate the value of pharmacy and support efforts to 
protect access to neighborhood pharmacies and utilize pharmacies to 
improve the quality and reduce the costs of health care. In recognition 
of the fifth annual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill, I would like to 
congratulate pharmacy leaders, pharmacists, students, and executives 
and the pharmacy community represented by the National Association of 
Chain Drug Stores for their contributions to the good health of the 
American people.

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