Amendment ID: S2499-25-R1

Redraft Amendment 25

Compensating Pharmacists

Mr. Tarr moves that the proposed new draft be amended by inserting after section 64 the following section:-

"SECTION 64A.The health policy commission, in consultation with the board of registration in pharmacy and the division of insurance, shall study and analyze the performance of pharmacists of primary care functions within their authorized scope of practice. The study shall include, but not be limited to: (i) reimbursements that carriers currently provide to pharmacists for the performance of primary care services that are authorized in a pharmacist’s scope of practice in the commonwealth; (ii) primary care services that are authorized in a pharmacist’s scope of practice in the commonwealth but are not currently reimbursed or are inadequately reimbursed by carriers; (iii) primary care services that pharmacists are authorized to perform; (iv) the extent to which pharmacists currently perform primary care services; (v) reimbursement rates for comparable services performed by pharmacists in other states; (vi) impact of pharmacist-provided primary care services on access to health care and overall costs of the commonwealth’s health care system; and (vii) reimbursement levels needed to achieve sustainability in delivery of primary care services by pharmacists. The commission shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on health care financing and the joint committee on public health not later than July 1, 2024. The report shall be published on the website of the commission.”.