Legislation Would Improve Health Equity and Combat Public Health Threats
Alexandria, VA., May 5, 2025 — AMCP (Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy) today welcomed the introduction of the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services (ECAPS) Act of 2025 (H.R. 3164) by Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Larry Bucshon, M.D (R-IN), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Terri Sewell (D-AL). Provisions in this bipartisan legislation will help ensure patients across the country maintain reliable access to testing and treatment for COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the flu, and potential future threats to public health.
“Pharmacies are the frontlines of delivery for a growing array of health care services in America today, especially for vulnerable patient populations like seniors and rural communities,” said AMCP CEO Susan Cantrell, MHL, RPh, CAE. “Yet, with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration in 2023, millions of Americans now have lost or are at risk of losing access to essential care services administered by their local pharmacists, such as testing and common disease treatments. It’s critical that Congress pass the bipartisan ECAPS Act so that pharmacies around the country can permanently provide reliable access to services and our most vulnerable patient populations are protected.”
The ECAPS Act will help ensure that Americans can continue to rely on pharmacists for potentially life-saving care to combat a range of diseases. Nearly nine in 10 Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, and patients increasingly rely on pharmacists as their first point of care. This is especially true in rural areas, where 77 percent of community pharmacies serve populations of 50,000 or fewer, making pharmacists an essential care provider to medically underserved communities.
If signed into law, the ECAPS Act would extend certain provisions put in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency that have been a critical lifeline for millions of patients. The bill would also establish coverage and reimbursement under Medicare Part B to enable and empower pharmacists to perform vital services in their communities for beneficiaries of these programs.
For more on AMCP’s support for this legislation, visit our Legislative & Regulatory Issues page.
About AMCP
AMCP is the professional association leading the way to help patients get the medications they need at a cost they can afford. AMCP’s diverse membership of pharmacists, physicians, nurses, biopharmaceutical professionals, and other stakeholders leverage their specialized expertise in clinical evidence and economics to optimize medication benefit design and population health management and help patients access cost-effective and safe medications and other drug therapies. AMCP members improve the lives of nearly 300 million Americans served by private and public health plans, pharmacy benefit management firms, and emerging care models. Visit www.amcp.org.
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