The National Community Pharmacists Association’s (NCPA) Innovation Center has announced the founding of the Independent Community Pharmacy Consortium for Government Engagement.
In a Jan. 16 news release, the NCPA said the initiative “is bringing together pharmacy services administrative organizations, wholesale distributors, and pharmacy management system vendors to streamline the engagement of community pharmacies in public health initiatives. Building on the vital role played during the COVID-19 pandemic, independent community pharmacies across the United States are taking proactive steps to enhance their readiness for future public health emergencies.”
The newly formed consortium will facilitate “swift and efficient cooperation between public health agencies and the nation’s nearly 19,000 independent community pharmacies,” the announcement added. Such collaboration, NCPA believes, is “especially crucial” to ensure that the nation’s most vulnerable patients have access to health care, pharmacy services and public health services, regardless of where they live.
“Our independent community pharmacies are an indispensable part of the health-care and public health infrastructure, providing essential services to those who need them most,” said NCPA Innovation Center President Kurt Proctor. “Through this innovative partnership, we are reinforcing our commitment to the nation’s readiness by ensuring that we can rapidly respond as a sector when the need arises.”
The consortium’s founding members are AlignRx, Cardinal Health, Cencora, Epic, McKesson, and Pharmacy First.
The NCPA pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 12,000 independent pharmacies answered the call to participate in federal response programs involving COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, therapeutics and mask distribution.
“Not all community pharmacies had the opportunity to participate in the federal programs, however, which the consortium is poised to change by creating avenues for more comprehensive engagement throughout future public health emergencies,” NCPA said. “The entities involved in the Independent Community Pharmacy Consortium for Government Engagement will support and coordinate the response of their affiliated pharmacies, playing a pivotal role in the overarching public health response. This initiative is expected to improve the ability of independent pharmacies to serve their communities effectively during emergencies, while offering an ‘easy button’ for government organization coordination.”
