National Workgroup Develops Pharmacist Statewide Protocol Policy Recommendations
NASPA and NABP Convene Experts to Improve Patient Access
The Statewide Protocol Workgroup, convened by the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®), has developed policy recommendations for pharmacist statewide protocols. These recommendations include the key elements that should
be included in state laws and regulations authorizing the development of statewide protocols – including the components that should be included in the protocol itself.
Workgroup participants, pharmacists, and related stakeholders from a variety of settings who were selected based on their experience with statewide protocols and their knowledge and expertise in pharmacy policy, considered the existing landscape of state laws and regulations, patient access, and pharmacist education and training in compiling their recommendations.
Recognizing the importance of this work, NASPA Executive Vice President & CEO Rebecca Snead states: “Statewide protocols present the opportunity for pharmacists to significantly increase patient access to medications and services important to public health—and have been recognized as such by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is critical to have a national set of statewide protocol policy recommendations that are based on the best interests of patients and the education and training of pharmacists. This work builds on and supports the policy considerations from the NASPA/NABP Convened Meeting on Statewide Protocols for Pharmacist Prescribing report from 2016, generously supported by the Community Pharmacy Foundation.”
NABP President Hal Wand, MBA, RPh, states: “For state boards of pharmacy and their charge to protect the public health, appropriate implementation of statewide protocols will improve patient access to needed medications and pharmacist care. Developing uniform protocols across the states will also help to ensure consistent care and protections for patients who will have the opportunity to benefit from the full scope of care provided by pharmacists.”
NASPA and NABP would like to thank Pfizer, Inc for their sponsorship, which helped to make this work possible.
