Economic Stimulus Package Holds Advantages for Health-System Pharmacists

Greater access to health information technology, like bar code administration systems and computerized prescriber order entry systems, is just one of the benefits that pharmacists in hospitals and health systems will reap from the newly enacted economic stimulus package signed by President Obama.

In an analysis of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ASHP found more than $100 billion allocated for issues important to the Society, including ensuring the widespread adoption of health information technology, supporting comparative effectiveness research, and alleviating shortages of primary care providers.

Nineteen billion dollars will be set aside to allow hospitals to take advantage of loans and grants to implement health information technology systems throughout their facilities. The stimulus also includes $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research to evaluate the clinical outcomes of a variety of treatments, including drug therapy.

Two of ASHP’s top priorities, funding for pharmacy residency programs and pharmacist inclusion in loan forgiveness programs were left out of the stimulus package. ASHP will keep these issues on the front burner as dialogue on health-care reform proposals begins later this year. Both are featured in ASHP’s Principles for Health-Care Reform.

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