[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 40 (Monday, March 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E302-E303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING NACDS RxIMPACT DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID LOEBSACK

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 14, 2016

  Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Eighth 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 16-17. Nearly 400 individuals from the 
pharmacy community--including practicing pharmacists, pharmacy school 
faculty and students, state pharmacy association representatives and 
pharmacy company leaders--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 healthcare.
   Advocates from over 40 states have travelled to Washington to talk 
about the pharmacy community's contributions in over 40,000 community 
pharmacies nationwide. These important healthcare providers are here to 
educate Congress about the value of pharmacy and the important access 
provided by community pharmacies in the nation's healthcare delivery 
system. And just as these providers travelled to meet with us, Members 
of Congress and their staff have toured retail chain pharmacies in our 
own communities more than 400 times since 2009.
   Patients have always relied on their local pharmacist to meet their 
healthcare needs. The local pharmacist is a trusted, highly accessible 
healthcare provider deeply committed to providing the highest quality 
care in the most efficient manner possible.
   As demand for healthcare services continues to grow, pharmacists 
have expanded their role in healthcare delivery, partnering with 
physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers to meet their 
patients' needs. Innovative services provided by pharmacists do even 
more to improve patient healthcare. 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 as well 
as healthcare affordability. By helping patients take their medications 
effectively and providing preventive services, pharmacists help avoid 
more costly forms of care. Pharmacists also help patients identify 
strategies to save money, such as through better understanding of their 
pharmacy benefits, using generic medications, and obtaining 90-day 
supplies of prescription drugs from local pharmacies.
   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 healthcare. Eighty-six percent of 
Americans reside within a five-mile radius of a community pharmacy. 
Pharmacists are one of our nation's most trusted healthcare 
professionals. Utilizing their specialized education, pharmacists play 
a major role in medication therapy management, disease-state 
management, immunizations, healthcare screenings, and other healthcare 
services designed to improve patient health and reduce overall 
healthcare costs. Pharmacists are also expanding their role into new 
models of care based on quality of services and outcomes, such as 
accountable care organizations (ACOs) and medical homes.
   The pharmacy advocates of NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill are 
promoting legislation, H.R. 592/S. 314, the Pharmacy and Medically 
Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, to allow Medicare Part B to utilize 
pharmacists to their full capability by providing underserved 
beneficiaries with services, subject to state scope of practice laws. 
They are also working to ensure that the TRICARE pharmacy program keeps 
prescription copays affordable for beneficiaries as well as preserving 
their ability to choose to fill their prescriptions at their community 
pharmacy. They also are promoting measures, such as H.R. 793/S. 1190, 
the Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2015 to 
guarantee Medicare Part D access and transparency.
   I believe Congress should look at every opportunity to make sure 
that pharmacists are allowed to utilize their training to the fullest 
to provide the services that can improve care, increase access and 
lower costs. In recognition of the Eighth Annual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on 
Capitol Hill, I would like to congratulate pharmacy leaders, 
pharmacists, students, and the entire pharmacy community represented by 
the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, for their contributions 
to the health and wellness of the American people.

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