PHARMACISTS' MOVES ON DRUGS AND ADS

At its 45th annual session, the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, which represents around 30,000 pharmacists who practice in the health care system - including hospitals, Health Maintenance Organizations and long-term care facilities, acted on a broad range of policy issues, including pharmacist prescribing and advertising direct to consumers.

Among policy actions adopted by the ASHP's House of Delegates was one to pursue the development of legislative and regulatory provisions that allow for prescribing by the pharmacist as a component of pharmaceutical care, and one to support the right of patients to choose and give instructions regarding their health care.

It also adopted a policy action to support direct-to-consumer advertising that is focused on educating the public about drug therapies to treat certain medical conditions; further, to oppose direct-to-consumer promotion of a specific prescription drug product; and to pursue the development of legislation or regulation that requires direct-to-consumer advertising to state that the advertised products have benefits and risks that should be discussed with the consumer's pharmacist and physician.