Hello:

I am writing to express my emphatic support for this amendment. I am a registered pharmacist in Virginia, a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist, and proud member of the Virginia Pharmacy Association.

The fight for provider status has spanned decades as pharmacists seek to be eligible to receive payment for the services we provide. The historical inability to obtain reimbursement from insurance companies for services other than dispensing medications has hamstrung our profession, limiting our ability to provide care for patients in need. With the passage of SB 1538 into law, that finally changes. I am grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support the bill received in the legislature and from our governor and look forward to a new day for the pharmacy profession.

Pharmacists play an integral role in the healthcare system. Pharmacies safeguard the public health, safely dispensing life-saving medications to patients and caregivers in rural and urban centers alike. Pharmacists also serve an important role as immunizers, limiting the spread of diseases like the flu and COVID-19. With about 90% of Americans living within 5 miles of the nearest pharmacy, pharmacies are among the most accessible locations to receive immediate consultation with a healthcare provider, access over-the-counter medicines, and an increasing number of prescription medicines under a statewide protocol.

Pharmacists are highly educated healthcare professionals, with 2-4 years of undergraduate education and 4 years of doctoral education. Many pharmacists undergo 1-2 years of postgraduate residency training in specialized fields, such as cardiology, infectious disease, and psychiatry. Under a statewide protocol, pharmacists are authorized to provide treatments to prevent HIV, provide birth control, help people quit smoking, and soon will have protocols for the treatment of the flu, urinary tract infections, strep, and COVID-19.

As highly accessible and well-trained healthcare professionals, pharmacists are poised to help provide necessary healthcare to Virginians that need it most. The use of statewide protocols by pharmacists has been slow due to the lack of reimbursement. With the implementation of SB 1538, I foresee that many pharmacists will finally be able to afford to provide these services, giving patients unprecedented access to helpful medicines. This will lower unnecessary visits to the emergency room, facilitating early treatment of problems before they get worse. This will lower barriers to accessing healthcare, where it can otherwise take weeks to get an office visit. It is no exaggeration to suggest that the impact will save lives.

I appreciate the opportunity to voice my support and urge DMAS to work to ensure a smooth rollout of the amendment.

Sincerely,

Joe Cusimano, PharmD, BCPP