In March, the Patient Access to Pharmacists Care Coalition (PAPCC) launched a media initiative to promote the role of pharmacists in seniors’ care to raise awareness about, and increase support for, provider status legislation. The goal of the media campaign, which includes radio and print ads, is to educate readers about the role pharmacists can play in filling the gap some patients face in accessing care.

I’m pleased to announce that a new print ad is now running in Capitol Hill newspapers. The ad presents the story of “Vivian,” a 70-year-old woman with asthma who has difficulty making appointments with her doctor that fit her schedule. Pharmacists, who are the most accessible heath care providers and are trained to educate patients about asthma, could make a huge difference for senior patients like Vivian. The ad also calls for passage of the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (S. 314/H.R. 592).

The Vivian ad appeared in Capitol Hill newspapers and in the June 16 edition of the Washington Post.

APhA is a founding member of the PAPCC, which is comprised of organizations representing patients, pharmacists, and pharmacies, as well as other interested stakeholders, whose mission is to develop and help enact a federal policy proposal that would enable patient access to, and payment for, Medicare Part B services by state-licensed pharmacists in medically underserved communities.

Check out the Vivian ad and listen to a radio advertisement on the PAPCC’s website at PharmacistsCare.org or on APhA’s Pharmacists Provide Care campaign website at pharmacistsprovidecare.com/campaign-update-archive.