ICHP POSITION STATEMENT
ON
ICHP RESPONSE TO THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA) RESOLUTION 218-A-13: AMA RESPONSE TO DRUG STORE CHAIN INTRUSION INTO MEDICAL PRACTICE

The Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP) supports the responses produced by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) in response to the AMA Resolution 218-A-13: pharmacist and physician collaboration is the solution to our nation’s epidemic of prescription drug abuse to ensure that controlled substance prescriptions are valid and appropriate.1,2

The American Medical Association released Resolution 218-A-13 in June 2013 as a statement crafted in response to the efforts of pharmacies that call and fax to verify the legitimacy of every controlled substance prescription before filling.  The AMA “deem inappropriate queries from pharmacies to verify the medical rationale behind prescriptions, diagnoses and treatment plans to be an interference with the practice of medicine and unwarranted.”3 These pharmacies are acting in response to increased pressure from the Drug Enforcement Administration to prevent diversion and combat the epidemic of prescription drug abuse in the United States.
    
ICHP supports ASHP’s and APhA’s commitment to work with the AMA and other stakeholders to find solutions to the broader problem of prescription drug abuse through more effective communications and interprofessional collaboration among pharmacists, physicians, other healthcare providers, policymakers, and law enforcement.  Pharmacists must be vigilant in their efforts to provide the highest quality patient care and education while upholding the integrity of the prescriptions written for legitimate use under an establish patient-provider relationship.


1ASHP’s Response to the AMA:
http://www.ashpintersections.org/2013/07/a-commitment-to-interprofessional-collaboration-ashps-response-to-the-ama/. Accessed April 16, 2014.

2APhA’s Response to the AMA:
http://www.pharmacist.com/CEOBlog/more-pharmacist-physician-collaboration-not-less. Accessed April 16, 2014.

3AMA Resolution 218-A-13:
http://www.hpm.com/pdf/blog/AMA%20RES%20218%20061313.PDF. Accessed April 16, 2014.

Approved 09/2014