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ACCP Report

Washington Report

ACCP-PAC Advocacy Update: Opportunities for Clinical Pharmacy in the 119th Congress

Written by John McGlew
Director of Government Affairs


ACCP-PAC is the political voice of the clinical pharmacy profession. It is the only federal political action committee dedicated specifically to advancing the practice of clinical pharmacists and the care of their patients. As the 119th Congress gets underway on Capitol Hill, ACCP-PAC has been active in its bipartisan support for members of Congress who have demonstrated leadership on issues important to ACCP members, such as Medicare funding for pharmacy residencies.

Through your support for ACCP-PAC, members of the College can attend fundraising events that provide a unique setting for educating representatives and senators about the essential work of clinical pharmacists in improving medication outcomes on behalf of patients.

ACCP-PAC recently attended an event hosted by Rep Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), who is one of just 2 pharmacists currently serving in the US Congress. 

ACCP’s Senior Director of Government Affairs, John McGlew (right) discusses potential opportunities for clinical pharmacy with Congressman Carter at a 2024 Capitol Hill event.

About Representative Carter

Representative Carter is a pharmacist currently serving as the representative for Georgia’s First Congressional District. The district is based in Savannah and includes most of the state’s coastal southern area. Representative Carter was first elected to Congress in 2015 after serving the people of Georgia as a state representative (2005-2009) and state senator (2009-2014).

Representative Carter is a well-established leader on health care issues in Congress and will serve as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health for the 119th Congress. In this powerful role, Representative Carter’s committee will hold jurisdiction over key provisions in the Medicare program.

In a statement, Representative Carter highlighted his health care background:

As a pharmacist for more than 40 years, I am thrilled to sit atop the Health Subcommittee for the 119th Congress…. The goal of this subcommittee is as straightforward as it is consequential: help Americans live healthier and longer lives. We will work toward this goal, in lockstep with President Trump, to tackle our nation’s chronic disease epidemic, increase price transparency, incentivize competition, combat harmful health care consolidation, fight the scourge of fentanyl, and build a health care system that puts patients before profits. Through transparency, competition, and innovation, we will Make America Healthy Again.

ACCP’s Priorities for the 119th Congress

ACCP’s top advocacy priority on Capitol Hill is to establish Medicare coverage and payment for comprehensive clinical pharmacy services that optimize medication use for patients. Beyond this vital initiative, ACCP will work with its pharmacy colleagues and other key health care stakeholders—including physician organizations—to advance the following legislative efforts in the 119th Congress:

Protecting PGY1 Residency Funding

Substance Use Prevention and Pharmacy Oriented Recovery Treatment Prescription Act (SUPPORT Rx Act)

Advancing Medicare Coverage for Pharmacogenetic Consultations

About ACCP-PAC

ACCP’s Political Action Committee (PAC) allows the College to participate in political campaign activities that strengthen its relationships with key policymakers on Capitol Hill. Providing financial support to influential leaders helps raise the profile of clinical pharmacy and demonstrates ACCP’s ideological commitment to its core mission.

To maximize its impact, ACCP must be strategic in targeting its limited resources to the health policy leaders best placed to advance its agenda. Here’s how ACCP’s leaders decide who should receive financial support.

Consistent with all of ACCP’s initiatives, ACCP-PAC is member driven and is managed by a Governing Council, which is responsible for decisions related to how PAC money is spent.

  • ACCP-PAC is nonpartisan—committed to working with health policy leaders across all political parties and ideologies.
  • ACCP-PAC supports candidates on the basis of their alignment with ACCP’s mission to advance the profession and improve human health through research, training, and education.
  • ACCP-PAC strategically targets members of Congress who sit on committees with jurisdiction over health care. In the Senate, ACCP-PAC primarily supports members on the Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. In the House, ACCP-PAC focuses on those who sit on the Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  • ACCP-PAC is committed to transparency—all contributions are reported to the Federal Election Commission, and the information is available to the public.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 ACCP-PAC PRN Challenge!

  • Community-Based PRN: Total Dollars Raised
  • Perioperative Care PRN: Percentage of Participating PRN Members

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2024 challenge! The winning PRNs will receive coveted preferential time slots for their business meetings at the 2025 ACCP Annual Meeting.

Outlook for ACCP-PAC in 2025

Despite the well-documented political dysfunction in Washington, ongoing conversations with congressional leaders continue to demonstrate solid, fundamental support on Capitol Hill for the core policy driving ACCP’s effort to establish Medicare coverage for clinical pharmacists’ services that optimize medication use for patients.

Looking ahead to the 119th Congress, ACCP has an opportunity to raise its profile on Capitol Hill by providing financial support for policymakers who work with the College to advance its issues. It is vital that ACCP be able to provide support to its friends in Congress so that these leaders can remain in Washington to advance policies that meaningfully address the health care issues the nation currently faces.

PAC contributions are a constitutionally protected part of the US political system under the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech. ACCP-PAC is the only means through which the College can provide financial support for candidates for Congress. With its 16,000 members, ACCP is in a position to become one of the most prominent pharmacy PACs in Washington. To do this, the College needs the widespread support of its membership. All ACCP members should consider donating at least $25 to ACCP-PAC. CLICK HERE to support your PAC today!