McKesson Amplify Initiative Secures Funding for State Pharmacy Associations
Six months after the announcement of McKesson Amplify in June, the initiative has secured funding across all 50 states in the US.
Powered by the McKesson Amplify initiative designed to improve pharmacy services and further the profession, the wholesale medication company announced Tuesday that it has officially secured funding for state pharmacy associations in all 50 states.
“Guided by McKesson’s core belief that the patient comes first, McKesson Amplify is a strategic initiative intended to help protect critical pharmacy services and elevate the pharmacy profession by strengthening the voice of the industry,” wrote McKesson in a news release.1 “Through McKesson Amplify, the company has committed to awarding dedicated funding to eligible state pharmacy associations across all 50 states to help meet association advocacy goals.”
A pillar of the McKesson Amplify program is independent community pharmacies. | image credit: Игорь Головнёв / stock.adobe.com
A pillar of the McKesson Amplify program is independent community pharmacies that serve specific populations who may have less access to medications compared with urban locales and areas of greater household incomes. With pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform continuing to stall on the federal level, hundreds of thousands of community pharmacies are in dire need of reprieve to serve their patients and keep their doors open.
READ MORE: How Pharmacy Advocacy is Heating Up at the Federal Level
Aside from declining PBM reimbursements amidst rising drug costs, pharmacies and the pharmacists who operate them have been dealing with a myriad of industry challenges in recent history. From staffing problems and burn out to not being given the opportunity to practice at the top of their licenses, many pharmacists feel like their voices are not being heard when it comes to many issues.
With McKesson Amplify, however, the company is attempting to alleviate those challenges and help bolster the profession by extending support first to state associations to advocate for beneficial legislation.
“We believe pharmacists’ voices are one of the most important in the conversation. But, a single voice can only be heard from so far,” said Jeanine Singer, Senior Vice President, National and Key Accounts & Field Sales at McKesson.1 “Recognizing that advocacy and pharmacy practice transformation happens locally, we created McKesson Amplify to collectively raise the profession and turn up the volume in support of independent community pharmacy across the nation.”
According to the company’s news release, the program’s newly secured funding will support state associations in 5 areas of focus: advocacy and lobbying; events; membership drives; professional development and training; and communications, technology, and digital platforms.
Starting with membership drives, the program will dedicate funds to helping state associations establish a stronger recruitment profile. The program is also dedicating funds to other various events that will focus on legislation, state pharmacy association matters, and more—creating a way for pharmacists to have more visibility toward the general public.
Regarding professional development, McKesson has secured funding to help state associations host trainings for pharmacists to develop in their profession and further promote their roles as the most frontward-facing health care professionals. This funding will focus on leadership training, advocacy education, and practice advancement resources.1
One of the strongest focuses of this program, as relayed by several industry leaders, is the advocacy and lobbying aspect. While pharmacists are dealing with issues behind the counter, most don’t necessarily have the time to advocate for industry-wide change. That’s why McKesson is putting its time and money into giving pharmacists across the country a voice.
“McKesson Amplify is our advocacy funding endeavor to drive lasting change for the independent pharmacy profession. We believe pharmacists’ voices are one of the most important in the conversation. Together, we have an opportunity to collectively elevate the profession and strengthen the support of pharmacy across the nation,” concluded Singer when discussing the original McKesson Amplify announcement back in June at its annual ideaShare meeting.2
READ MORE: McKesson ideaShare 2024 Recap
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