Top Issue:
Access to Patients

Patients, especially those located in medically underserved or health professional shortage areas, need access to pharmacies they trust. Patients who trust their pharmacists are more likely to adhere to their medication regimen, which improves health outcomes and health care costs. Limiting patients’ pharmacy choice places them at a distinct disadvantage. Additionally, under the Affordable Care Act, current MTM reimbursement requires that Medicare Part D beneficiaries: suffer from multiple chronic conditions; be prescribed multiple medications; and, meet a minimum annual prescription cost threshold of $3,138. These restrictions can lead to sub-optimal utilization of MTM services and unnecessary health care costs. Increasing the number of pharmacies available to patients and broadening the scope of MTM services will enable pharmacies to improve patient access.

Our Position

AmerisourceBergen recognizes the important role pharmacists play in delivering essential health care to patients. Pharmacists are on the front line of our health care system, providing patient education, preventive care, testing, and other invaluable services that are vital to improving quality of care, while keeping health care expenditures low. Any willing pharmacy legislation and expanded Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services would enable patients to have increased access to high quality pharmacist health care.