As many of you are aware, El Rio pharmacist Sandra Leal, an APhA member and newly recognized APhA Fellow, is circulating a petition through the Change.org website advocating for recognition of pharmacists as health care providers.

To date, Leal has gathered more than 15,000 signatures from physicians, patients, pharmacists, and a senator from Kentucky. Her grassroots effort was profiled on January 15 in the Arizona Daily Star newspaper.

Leal works in a community health center that is a recognized medical home and has been having challenges integrating into the medical home model because the lack of provider status causes payment challenges in her work setting.

APhA has been in frequent contact with Leal to get updates from her, and we facilitated a conference call she had with a CMS representative. We have been supportive of her efforts to raise awareness about pharmacists and lack of provider status by promoting them in our electronic communication vehicles.

We’ll continue to update you as this initiative progresses.