[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3675]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING RxIMPACT DAY

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the fourth 
annual RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill. This is a day to recognize the 
contribution of pharmacies to the American healthcare system. Hundreds 
of pharmacists, pharmacy school faculty and students, State pharmacy 
leaders and pharmacy company executives will visit the Capitol to share 
with Congress the importance of supporting legislation that protects 
access to neighborhood pharmacies and utilizes pharmacists to improve 
quality and reduce the costs of health care.
  Over 260 advocates from 41 States have traveled to Washington to talk 
about their contributions in over 50,000 community pharmacies operating 
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 our valued health care delivery 
system.
  Pharmacists are some of the Nation's most accessible and trusted 
health care providers. Most Americans live within 5 miles of a 
community retail pharmacy. They are the ultimate do-it-all providers. 
Pharmacists prepare, bill, and dispense prescriptions. They offer 
patient counseling. With their specialized education, they also play a 
major role in medication therapy management, disease management, 
immunizations, and health care screenings.
  Eighty-six percent of rural Americans reside within a 10-mile radius 
of a sole community pharmacy. As the face of community health care, 
pharmacies across the Nation offer these and other cost-saving programs 
and services to help patients take medicines appropriately to achieve 
positive results. For more than a century, pharmacies and pharmacists 
have supported folks in Montana and throughout America with these 
important patient care services. It is critical we work to support 
their unique contributions.
  As we continue to make health care better and more affordable, we 
should adopt policies that recognize the health and financial benefits 
from helping patients adhere to their medications. This helps to 
improve health outcomes and reduces the risks of adverse events and 
unnecessary costly hospital readmissions and emergency room visits. 
Unfortunately, only half of Americans living with chronic diseases 
adhere to their drug regimens. Patient nonadherence 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 the Medicare 
Part D Program. By improving patient health outcomes, we have seen 
better efficiency and savings in the prescription drug program. That is 
why I support community pharmacys' efforts to strengthen the MTM 
benefit so it is available for seniors and others struggling with 
chronic conditions and other illnesses.
  Medicaid beneficiaries also deserve access to the most cost-effective 
medications. The Affordable Care Act made important changes to pharmacy 
reimbursement for generic drugs in the Medicaid program. The Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued a proposed rule to 
implement these important changes, and it will be critical for Congress 
to monitor this rulemaking to ensure it is consistent with 
congressional intent.
  Finally, I would like to acknowledge the vital role pharmacies play 
in the field of public health. All 50 States recognize the role 
pharmacists play by supporting their ability to administer 
immunizations and other important preventative services in Medicare, 
both Part B and Part D, and other Federal health programs.
  Today, as the cochair of the Senate Community Pharmacy Caucus, I 
celebrate the value of pharmacists and support efforts to protect 
access to neighborhood and community pharmacies. I appreciate how 
pharmacies improve the quality and reduce the costs of health care.
  In recognition of the fourth annual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol 
Hill, I would like to congratulate pharmacy leaders, pharmacists, 
students, and executives, and the pharmacy community for their 
contributions to the good health of the American people.

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