The legislation improves access to timely, cost-effective care for Medicare beneficiaries
Alexandria, VA., May 21, 2026 — AMCP (Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy) today commended the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means for advancing the bipartisan Main Street Pharmacy Access Act (H.R. 3164 / S. 2426, formerly known as the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act, or ECAPS), a key legislative priority for AMCP. Provisions in the bill would enable Medicare beneficiaries to receive pharmacist-provided testing and treatment for certain respiratory illnesses such as flu, strep, and RSV in states that already authorize pharmacists to perform these services.
This action marks meaningful progress toward improving access to timely, cost-effective care for seniors while strengthening the overall healthcare system.
“The Ways and Means Committee’s advancement of the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act is a meaningful step toward making healthcare easier to access for millions of Medicare patients,” said AMCP CEO Susan Cantrell, MHL, RPh, CAE. “For many seniors, the pharmacist is the healthcare provider they see most often and can reach most quickly. This legislation would help patients get tested and treated sooner in states where pharmacists are already authorized to provide these services — reducing delays in care, improving health outcomes, and helping keep people out of more costly care settings."
“We’re grateful to AMCP members whose advocacy and engagement with lawmakers during our Legislative Days helped move this bipartisan effort forward. Congress now has an opportunity to expand access to convenient, timely care for seniors and strengthen the healthcare system in the process and I hope they will continue advancing this bill in the coming months.”
Currently, pharmacists are not recognized as eligible providers under the Social Security Act, limiting Medicare beneficiaries’ access to services that are already authorized under state law. This gap disproportionately impacts seniors, rural communities, and underserved populations who rely heavily on pharmacies as a first point of care.
Nearly 90 percent of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, and 91 percent of seniors report that pharmacies are an easy place to access care. By allowing reimbursement for pharmacist-provided services in states that already authorize pharmacists to perform these services, the legislation would:
In recent months, the legislation has gained bipartisan momentum, with more than 110 co-sponsors. More than 170 organizations support the measure, including patient advocacy organizations, provider groups, health systems, and rural and senior advocates.
AMCP remains committed to working with Congress to support policies that expand access to timely, pharmacist-provided care.
Media Contact:
Erica Klinger
206-240-8587
VP, Marketing
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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