Pharmacy champion in Congress: Rep. Todd Young (R-IN)

Abstract

: This profile of Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) is part of an occasional series in Pharmacy Today on Members of Congress who are champions of pharmacy. On March 11,2014, Young partnered with Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) to introduce legislation to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to enable patient access to, and coverage for, Medicare Part B services by state-licensed pharmacists in medically underserved communities (H.R. 4190). : This profile of Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) is part of an occasional series in Pharmacy Today on Members of Congress who are champions of pharmacy. On March 11,2014, Young partnered with Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) to introduce legislation to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to enable patient access to, and coverage for, Medicare Part B services by state-licensed pharmacists in medically underserved communities (H.R. 4190). Young, who serves on the House Ways & Means Committee, believes that H.R. 4190 would increase patient access to health care providers “in those areas designated as ‘medically underserved’ by allowing pharmacists to offer clinical services within their current scope of practice to Medicare patients.” Following are Today’s questions and his responses from a recent e-mail interview: Where does your appreciation for pharmacists and pharmacy come from? While serving in the Marines, I learned to appreciate the importance of pharmacists every time we would return from the held. There were many times when the supposed cure-all—which we jokingly called “Vitamin M,” but you know [it] as Motrin—needed to be supplemented by another drug or treatment. Pharmacists always played an important role in offering relief to Marines’ aches, pains, and minor injuries. What do you find most compelling about H.R. 4190 that prompted you to introduce it? As much as anything, this issue for me is about helping ensure that rural Americans can have their basic health needs met. A large part of my district is rural, and allowing them to visit a local pharmacist for routine things that pharmacists are already trained to do just makes sense. It saves them time and money, but more importantly ensures they get the care at all. As Today goes to press, 82 Members of Congress have signed on to cosponsor the bill. Why do you think H.R. 4190 is so rapidly gaining support from your colleagues in Congress? Though we are hearing that this issue will fundamentally benefit pharmacists and those they serve, this is a pretty common-sense issue for most Members [of Congress]. I think they recognize this would meaningfully expand easy access to routine care for many of their constituents. “Never underestimate the power of calling your own Member of Congress to explain the importance of this legislation.” How would H.R. 4190 benefit patients in “many rural communities, like those spread across southern Indiana, [that] struggle with inadequate access to doctors and other health care providers”? In some cases, it might merely be a matter of convenience. But in other cases, it could be potentially life-saving, not just for patients who are able to receive basic care more quickly, but especially for those who might forgo it altogether. Could you comment on how allowing pharmacists to offer clinical services within their current scope of practice to Medicare patients would begin to address the need in those areas designated as medically underserved? We hear a lot about doctor shortages, which leads to areas being designated as medically underserved. Instead of trying to attract more people into the medical field, or trying to entice existing doctors to move their practice, why not allow medical professionals like pharmacists who already live and work in those areas [to] perform those routine services? What can our readers do to assist you in passing this legislation? It sounds cliché, but never underestimate the power of calling your own Member of Congress to explain the importance of this legislation. The more our colleagues hear from their constituents, the more likely they are to support the legislation, and the more likely it is to pass.