government
Drug therapy management law enacted in Pa.
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 21, 2010
A new Pennsylvania law allows for collaborative drug therapy management between physicians and pharmacists, aimed at giving both parties more direct access to each another and to patients.
The Pennsylvania Senate and House passed the bill in May, and Gov. Edward Rendell signed it into law June 1. The National Assn. of Chain Drug Stores praised the new law, saying it will allow for more patients to benefit from the medication knowledge and training of pharmacists. The law will create opportunities for collaborative drug therapy management -- essentially pro-patient teamwork between doctors and pharmacists -- to occur in the community setting, NACDS said.
Pennsylvania is the 33rd state to allow for such collaboration, the organization said. Nine states allow it in institutional settings only, and eight do not permit it at all.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/06/21/gvbf0621.htm.
