Garza Testifies on Health Care Workforce and Rural Health Issues

Texas Pharmacy Association CEO Debbie Garza returned to the Texas Capitol on September 14 to testify on the Texas House Public Health Committee’s interim charges to examine existing resources and available opportunities to strengthen the state’s nursing and other health professional workforce, as well as to assess ongoing challenges in the rural health care system and the impact of legislation and funding from the 87th regular and special sessions on strengthening rural health care and the sustainability of rural hospitals and health care providers.

“For residents of rural and underserved communities, pharmacists may be the only accessible health care provider,” Garza said, noting that it has been increasingly difficult for pharmacies to hire pharmacy technicians. “TPA supports the thoughtful expansion of technician duties, such as has been allowed under the federal PREP Act in administering immunizations after meeting certain requirements and under the delegation and supervision of a pharmacist. These expanded duties elevate the role of the pharmacy technician and improves the attractiveness of the job of pharmacy technician as a career path.”

Garza also explained that pharmacies have faced increased financial challenges in recent years due to reduced reimbursements and anti-competitive business practices from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). “By allowing pharmacists to practice at the top of their education and training with continuing to provide services such as immunizations and optimizing the duties of pharmacy technicians, pharmacists can help alleviate some of the pressures on the overall health care system by providing convenient access points,” Garza said. “But the reimbursements for those services and for dispensing prescription medications must be sufficient to allow pharmacies to operate, particularly in rural areas where pharmacists may be the only health care provider.” (View Garza’s comments online beginning at 03:32:30.)