Building on the successful Congressional Briefing ACCP facilitated on behalf of Representatives Eric Paulsen (R-MN) and Peter Welch (D-VT), titled “‘Getting the Medications Right’: An Essential Ingredient in Achieving the Goals of H.R. 4878 – The Medicare Better Care, Lower Cost Act,” the following summarizes some of the activities that ACCP’s Government and Professional Affairs staff have engaged in during recent weeks:

ACCP Submits Comments to CMS on Medicare Payment Reform

ACCP submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) related to implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). MACRA was established to reform the existing Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) payment model, which encourages volume in the delivery of health care and drives up health care costs while providing little incentive for the coordinated, high-quality, team-based, patient-centered process of care that is necessary to protect the long-term structural and financial viability of the Medicare program.

Under MACRA, CMS will initiate a new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System for eligible clinicians or group practices beginning in 2019, which includes a combined value-based payment program that assesses the performance of each eligible provider according to quality, resource use, clinical practice improvement activities (CPIA), and meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology. The law also creates incentives for participating in certain alternative payment models (APMs), an approach consistent with the Obama administration’s broader goals of moving more FFS payments into APMs that focus on better care, smarter spending, and healthier people.

In its comments letter, ACCP urged CMS to incorporate the direct patient care services of clinical pharmacists as members of the patient’s health care team. Specifically identifying the essential objectives for a modernized, cost-effective, and quality-focused Medicare program, ACCP’s comments focused on:

• Facilitating clinical pharmacists’ full integration into patient care teams
• Achieving clinical outcomes to meet quality metrics by recognizing clinical pharmacists’ contributions in quality and CPIA performance measures
• Developing health information technology resources to optimize the exchange of clinical information among members of the health care team

ACCP is confident that its Medicare initiative is consistent with the overall structure of CMS’s proposed reformed payment approach, and the College believes that the physician payment reform process offers an opportunity to integrate coverage for comprehensive medication management services within the evolving Medicare program.

Click here to read ACCP’s comments in full.

ACCP Board of Regents Hosts “A Celebration of Collaboration”

The ACCP Board of Regents (BOR) held its July 2016 meeting at ACCP’s offices in downtown Washington, D.C. In addition to regular BOR activities, the meeting set aside time to update and report on progress made to the College’s Strategic Plan, adopted in 2013. In conjunction with the meeting, the BOR hosted a reception, “A Celebration of Collaboration,” for the leaders of some of the organizations that have supported ACCP’s advocacy agenda. Attendees included those representing physicians and other health professionals, groups focused on advancing team-based care practices and alternative payment models, ACCP colleague organizations from the pharmacy profession, and a variety of health policy stakeholders. The event, a resounding success, will serve to strengthen and develop the relationships ACCP has worked to build as part of its commitment to team-based, patient-centered care.

ACCP Participates in Inaugural Congressional Public Health Fair

On Wednesday, July 13, ACCP participated in a Public Health Fair on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Coalition for Health Funding (CHF) in conjunction with the Congressional Public Health Caucus. The event targeted lawmakers, congressional staff, and a wide variety of members of the public health community.

CHF is the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit alliance working to preserve federal investments in public health and health research. The coalition’s member health organizations represent the interests of more than 100 million patients, health care providers, public health professionals, and scientists. ACCP has been an active member of CHF for more than 15 years.

The health fair drew an estimated 200 attendees (in addition to the more than 100 exhibitors), including several congressional staff and the Public Health Caucus co-chairs, Representatives Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Gene Green (D-TX). In addition, six federal Public Health Service agencies took part in the event: the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. As the only pharmacist-practitioner organization CHF member, ACCP was proud to represent the profession at this prestigious event.

ACCP Hosts Summer Intern Tour

On Monday, July 11, 2016, ACCP was privileged to host a group of 12 summer interns, advanced pharmacy practice experience students, and executive residents and fellows for various pharmacy associations as part of the annual summer intern tour. This tour offers opportunities to learn about other national pharmacy and pharmacist organizations as part of the overall training experience. C. Edwin Webb, Pharm.D., MPH, ACCP associate executive director, and Samuel Johnson, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS, ACCP director of Health Policy and Interprofessional Affairs, facilitated a group discussion about career pathways, pharmacy practice standards, and opportunities for practice advancement. Johnson stated:

It was wonderful – engaging with young leaders in the pharmacy profession and sharing ACCP’s perspective on clinical pharmacy practice, education, and research. Establishing connections with prospective leaders of the profession is critically important.

ACCP Welcomes 2016–2017 Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow

The 2016–2017 ACCP/American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)/Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow, Mary Abdelmalak, joined ACCP’s Washington office in July after spending a week at the Brookings Institution. A native of Egypt, she moved to the United States at age 12 when her father received a research fellowship in urology from Cleveland Clinic. Abdelmalak earned her B.S. degree in biology and philosophy from John Carroll University and her Pharm.D. degree from Ohio State University (OSU) College of Pharmacy. She also completed a PGY1 community care pharmacy practice residency at OSU. In September, she will begin a 12-month placement serving as a staff member on Capitol Hill.

The program, founded 10 years ago under the leadership of VCU professor Gary R. Matzke, offers pharmacists real-world insight into health care policy analysis and development by providing the opportunity for immersion in the congressional environment. During the yearlong program, fellows are actively mentored in legislative evaluation, policy development, research, and writing while integrating practical experience with theory.

Click here for more information on the ACCP/ASHP/VCU Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow Program.

For more information on any of ACCP’s advocacy efforts, please contact:

John K. McGlew
Director, Government Affairs
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004-1017
(202) 621-1820
[email protected]