It was a long election season, but we now know that the Republicans will have control of the White House, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. The political experts are now shifting attention to what does this mean on many fronts. Pharmacy, health care, and patient advocacy organizations are doing the same and it may take some time for the dust to settle to gain a clearer picture of what lies ahead.

President-elect Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan have signaled their intent to alter components or repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017, and we expect that will have implications for health care delivery, access and coverage, and for pharmacists as we continue the fight to get on the team and in the game.

Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, there is no question that we are on the precipice of further change in the health care system, and that opens the door for federal recognition of pharmacists, including the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (H.R. 592/S. 314). Unless Congress acts in the lame duck session, we’ll be making a major push early next year and will need to be unified in our approach. We have many supporters that will help us get to the finish line. Let’s keep the end goal in focus. It’s the right thing to do!