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From Headquarters
MESSAGE FROM HEADQUARTERS
OlMer of C liti n in n Era of eform by Lucinda L. Maine, PhD
Consider this Aesop fable as a lesson for the phannacy profession: An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring him a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son strained and strained, but was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, yet none of them were successful. "Untie the bundle," said the father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You see my meaning," said their father. The lesson is simple: unity gives strength. In this era of health care refonn, this age-old parable underscores the importance of phannacy groups working together to constnlct the profession's future. The details of President Bill Clinton's proposal for
AMERICAN PHARMACY
health care refonn are only just coming into focus and may radically change during the next three to 12 months of congressional debate. Regardless of what the federal plan entails, phannacy practice and the way phannacists relate to their patients and professional colleagues will change in the years ahead. Pressure to reduce the cost of medications and ensure the quality of drug therapy outcomes has mounted markedly during the health care debate. Phannacists have told the American Phannaceutical Association (APhA) that they are ready for this change. Realistically, change cannot come without phannacists working together with state and national associations. If pharmacists are to be successful and empowered in a refonned health care system, they must secure change in the pricing and payment of medications and phannacists' services. In addition, patients and payers must recognize the value that phannacists add to health care. It was with this under-
standing that APhA played a leadership role in the founding of the Coalition for Consumer Access to Phannaceutical Care. While the official coalition was established in March 1993, major national phannacy associations have been working together to forge a common position on behalf of phannacy in the debate on health care refonn since April 1992. These efforts established the foundation for the coalition, whose members represent the entire array of community and institutional phannacy practitioners and phannacy educators. The coalition is committed to maximizing the benefits that consumers receive from medications. As pharmacists, we know that medications, when managed properly by patients and their health care providers, are the most cost-effective treatment for illnesses. APhA and other national phannacy associations are demonstrating to govemment officials, businesses, and consumers that phannaceutical care-the range of services that include drug
screening, patient counseling, and dnlg therapy management-is a solution to many of today's health care problems. Consequently, our goal is to persuade federal officials and Congress to include medications and phannacists' services as part of the comprehensive package of benefits that would be available to all Americans in a new health care system. It is also our goal to see that the government removes the obstacles that impede phannacists' ability to provide phannaceutical care and create the incentives that encourage phannaceutical care as part of an integrated, communitybased health care delivery system. APhA is committed to waging this critically important fight on behalf of the profession. We will call upon you to join us in this effort. Lucinda L. Maine, PhD, is senior director for pharmacy affairs, American Pharmaceutical Association.
June 1993
Vol. NS33, No.6
OlMer of C liti n in n Era of eform by Lucinda L. Maine, PhD
Consider this Aesop fable as a lesson for the phannacy profession: An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring him a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son strained and strained, but was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, yet none of them were successful. "Untie the bundle," said the father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You see my meaning," said their father. The lesson is simple: unity gives strength. In this era of health care refonn, this age-old parable underscores the importance of phannacy groups working together to constnlct the profession's future. The details of President Bill Clinton's proposal for
AMERICAN PHARMACY
health care refonn are only just coming into focus and may radically change during the next three to 12 months of congressional debate. Regardless of what the federal plan entails, phannacy practice and the way phannacists relate to their patients and professional colleagues will change in the years ahead. Pressure to reduce the cost of medications and ensure the quality of drug therapy outcomes has mounted markedly during the health care debate. Phannacists have told the American Phannaceutical Association (APhA) that they are ready for this change. Realistically, change cannot come without phannacists working together with state and national associations. If pharmacists are to be successful and empowered in a refonned health care system, they must secure change in the pricing and payment of medications and phannacists' services. In addition, patients and payers must recognize the value that phannacists add to health care. It was with this under-
standing that APhA played a leadership role in the founding of the Coalition for Consumer Access to Phannaceutical Care. While the official coalition was established in March 1993, major national phannacy associations have been working together to forge a common position on behalf of phannacy in the debate on health care refonn since April 1992. These efforts established the foundation for the coalition, whose members represent the entire array of community and institutional phannacy practitioners and phannacy educators. The coalition is committed to maximizing the benefits that consumers receive from medications. As pharmacists, we know that medications, when managed properly by patients and their health care providers, are the most cost-effective treatment for illnesses. APhA and other national phannacy associations are demonstrating to govemment officials, businesses, and consumers that phannaceutical care-the range of services that include drug
screening, patient counseling, and dnlg therapy management-is a solution to many of today's health care problems. Consequently, our goal is to persuade federal officials and Congress to include medications and phannacists' services as part of the comprehensive package of benefits that would be available to all Americans in a new health care system. It is also our goal to see that the government removes the obstacles that impede phannacists' ability to provide phannaceutical care and create the incentives that encourage phannaceutical care as part of an integrated, communitybased health care delivery system. APhA is committed to waging this critically important fight on behalf of the profession. We will call upon you to join us in this effort. Lucinda L. Maine, PhD, is senior director for pharmacy affairs, American Pharmaceutical Association.
June 1993
Vol. NS33, No.6