Adams Alex J, Frost Tim P
Idaho Division of Financial Management, Eagle, ID 83616, USA.
Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Boise, ID, USA.
Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. 2023 Oct 20;12:100353. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100353. eCollection 2023 Dec.
The Advanced Practice Pharmacist (APh) designation in California was created via legislation 10 years ago. California pharmacists who meet certain criteria can be designated as an APh and unlock additional practice authority. Just 1065 pharmacists, or 2% of licensed California pharmacists, have obtained the APh designation through 2022. APhs did not report benefiting from the designation as it relates to expanded scope of practice. This experience of low uptake and minimal benefit mirrors the tiered licenses created by three other states. More recent legislation broadened the independent prescriptive authority of APhs, but this increased value proposition aligns with the practice authority adopted by other states who have imposed fewer barriers to entry. Given the track record observed to date, we doubt that tiered licensure will ever prove successful in the pharmacy profession. Instead, state policymakers and pharmacy advocates should consider adopting a "standard of care" regulatory approach to improve patient access to safe and beneficial pharmacist services.
加利福尼亚州的高级执业药师（APh）资格是10年前通过立法设立的。符合特定标准的加利福尼亚州药剂师可被指定为APh，并获得额外的执业权限。截至2022年，只有1065名药剂师（占加利福尼亚州持牌药剂师的2%）获得了APh资格。APh并未报告称因该资格与扩大的执业范围相关而从中受益。这种低接受率和极少受益的情况反映了其他三个州设立的分级执照的情况。最近的立法扩大了APh的独立处方权，但这种增加的价值主张与其他对准入限制较少的州所采用的执业权限相一致。鉴于迄今为止观察到的记录，我们怀疑分级执照在药学专业中是否会成功。相反，州政策制定者和药学倡导者应考虑采用“护理标准”监管方法，以改善患者获得安全有益的药剂师服务的机会。
