On Tuesday, NCPA urged Congress to pass provider status legislation, S. 1362 - the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. We pressed Congress to make permanent many authorities and flexibilities granted to pharmacies during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The hearing, Vaccines: America’s Shot at Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic, focused on ways to promote vaccinations. Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and other Democrats emphasized the importance of getting vaccines to underserved communities and supporting trusted community leaders to improve vaccine confidence. Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-N.C). focused on breaking barriers to vaccinations, such as the lack of transportation, enhancing the use of innovative technologies to improve vaccination rates, and educating the public on vaccine safety. Democrats and Republicans agreed that targeted responses are needed to address public concerns over COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in light of the risks posed by the COVID-19 Delta variant. Here’s our statement to the committee.
NCPA
