(268) Advocacy Efforts for Mandating Pharmacy Services Reimbursements in the State of Hawai’i

Objective : Nationwide, there are ongoing efforts to advocate for pharmacists’ recognition as healthcare providers under government (Medicare and Medicaid) and private insurer plans. Provider status will result in financial reimbursement thus allowing patients more access to clinical services within a pharmacist’s designated scope of practice. An example of the significant role pharmacists play in access to care became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Locally and nationally, pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians were granted regulatory approval to provide life-saving healthcare services. In the state of Hawai’i, legislative advocacy efforts are underway to promote statutory approval to mandate reimbursement for pharmacists’ provision of patient care services through public and private health plans.

Methods: A multi-organizational effort between the faculty, staff and students of the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawai'i Office of Government Relations (system and campus levels), and the Hawai’i Pharmacists Association was utilized to strengthen advocacy through multiple synchronized lines of effort. The lines of effort included: education and training, meetings with legislators and payors, and legislative testimony submissions (written and oral) for introduced bills during the 2023 legislative session.

Results: Collaborative efforts have resulted in an overwhelming amount of support and number of testimonies submitted to the state legislators. Proposed bills have been deliberated by state house and senate committees with little opposition. The bills are now entering the final stages of the legislative process, and moving closer toward statutory approval by the Governor.

Conclusions: Partnerships within the pharmacy profession and from providers across the continuum of care have fueled advocacy efforts to advance the role of pharmacists across the State of Hawai’i.