You can waste a lot of good golfing weather waiting for it to rain. Instead, carry a rain suit and umbrella.

What does this sports analogy have to do with pharmacy?

Today, we are pursuing projects to build recognition of and support for pharmacists’ services within Medicare, Medicaid, and evolving team-based integrated care and transitions of care models driven by implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As you have likely seen, however, there is a lot of media attention around congressional and court activity to potentially defund or repeal ACA.

Yes, we know that ACA’s Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the 2009 stimulus package). We know that the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which already has funds, may be in jeopardy of being defunded (it might rain). But doing nothing because it might rain is not an option.

Be assured that we are assessing the full picture. We do not have all our advocacy efforts focused on Medicare and the role that pharmacists can play in implementing ACA’s provisions and the continued improvements to Medicare Part D medication therapy management (MTM). Rather, we are also doing everything possible to stimulate the growth of MTM within Medicaid programs, private and commercial insurers, managed care, entrepreneurs, community practice, and other entities looking to improve patients’ medication use, address drug-related problems, and reduce overall health care costs. As evidence, check out the new MTM Digest soon to be published and released at the 2011 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Seattle.

Yes, we know it could rain. But let’s play through.