Pharmacy Students Rally for Provider Status

Donning white coats and umbrellas to stay dry, Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy students recently rallied for provider status.

The students were trying to attract the attention of Bob Latta, the US representative for Ohio’s 5th congressional district, at the Ada Public Library in Ada, Ohio.

Carrying signs and a megaphone, the students marched for recognition and payment for the medical services pharmacists provide, they told Your News Now.

The students were trying to raise awareness that pharmacists’ prevention and wellness services and chronic disease management cannot currently be billed under Medicare.

“It’s not just about getting the reimbursement,” Emily Ickes, a fifth-year pharmacy student at the school, told Your News Now. “We’re already providing care. Physical therapists and occupational therapists— they’re all getting recognized as providers, but pharmacists currently are not.”

The Ohio Northern University student chapter of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) hosted Latta on campus last year.

Latta spoke about federal pharmacy legislation and answered questions from students and faculty in April 2014, according to a school press release.