This document proposes a resolution to prevent chain stores from offering gift cards to customers for transferring prescriptions between pharmacies. It argues this practice encourages unnecessary transfers that complicate pharmacists' ability to ensure medication compliance and safety. Offering incentives undermines the goal of having patients use a primary pharmacy to oversee their medication needs long-term. While gift cards save customers money temporarily, the potential costs of medical errors outweigh this benefit. The resolution cites previous resolutions advocating consolidating prescriptions at one pharmacy and opposing financial incentives that compromise care.

1. APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists
Midyear Regional Meetings
P R O P O S E D R E S O L U T I O N F O R M
Region #: 2
Proposing APhA-ASP Chapter: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Proposed Resolution Title/Topic:
Primary Care Pharmacy
Proposed wording (desired action(s)):
APhA-ASP recommends that chain stores be prevented from encouraging customers to switch their prescriptions
from one commercial pharmacy to another via the use of offering competing gift cards for transferring
prescriptions.
Background Statement (list reasons for the action(s) / pros and cons / references or resources):
As we advance the field of pharmacy, and advocate for the status of health care provider, we are encouraging
our pharmacists to view pharmacy clients as patients rather than as customers. We are being taught to evaluate
their medical therapy regimen, to recommend changes where appropriate, and to help the patients entrusting us
with their wellbeing to comply with their prescribed health regimen. We are better able to establish these goals
with regular patients who come to the same pharmacy for their medication needs, much the same as a primary
care physician may be able to track a patient’s changing health status over time. In the same way that patients
are encouraged to have a primary care physician to monitor their overall health, even if they also need to utilize
the services of medical specialists, we believe that encouraging patients to choose a primary care pharmacy to
oversee their medication therapy needs will have a beneficial effect on the public health and safety.
To that end, we propose abolishing the practice of offering gift cards to customers in exchange to the transfer of
their prescription to a chain store pharmacy. This practice entices patients to transfer their prescriptions,
sometimes on a monthly basis, between two or more pharmacies, complicating unnecessarily the goal of
pharmacists to help ensure that their patients are compliant with their medication therapies. As the computer
records between the various commercial pharmacies are unable to cross-reference prescriptions which may have
been filled in other pharmacies, it becomes necessary to call patients, physicians, or other pharmacies to ensure
that a patient has filled a necessary prescription; if we are not going through these steps, a patient on long-term
maintenance therapy could overlook a prescription they intended to transfer, and encounter severe, or even life-
threatening, health consequences. This takes up the time of the pharmacist, pharmacy technician, nurse,
physician, or medical secretary who has to either make the call or track down the answer for the pharmacy
making the inquiry, as well, which impacts the services being provided to patients at the pharmacy or physician’s
office, as their practitioner’s attention is diverted to this additional issue. This is a health and safety issue, rather
than an economic competition issue, and should be viewed as such. Chain stores which contain commercial
pharmacies should not be enticing patients to shift their prescriptions from one pharmacy to another from
month to month in order to gain these gift cards. The long-term cost to the patient if an error is made, or
medical interactions are overlooked due to this practice far outweighs the savings these gift cards may give the
patient in the immediate future.
Pros:
− Allows the pharmacy staff access to the patient’s complete prescription fill history
− Informs the pharmacist through the fill history of any compliance issues with the patient’s therapy
regimen
− Allows for a more complete medical history, with all the patient’s medications tracked in a single system
(this point is more directed at hospital use - a single inquiry would yield all information upon intake)
− Enhances the relationship between the pharmacy staff and the patient, which may improve trust,
Please use only one form for each proposed resolution. Forms must be submitted by the Chapter via email to the APhA-ASP
Regional Delegate two (2) weeks prior to the start of the Midyear Regional Meeting.

2. communication, and patient safety
− Reduces the distraction sometimes presented by the issuing of gift cards (reduces register duties)
− Allows the pharmacy staff more time to focus on their primary goals of ensuring the safe and effective
practice of medicine
− Reinforces the view of pharmacists as health care practitioners (not sales staff)
Cons:
− Perceived cost increase may upset customers who routinely transfer their prescriptions to take
advantage of the gift card program
− May encounter some pushback from chain stores containing commercial pharmacies which offer gift
cards for prescription transfers
Are there any adopted resolutions currently on the books related to this Proposed Resolution? Yes _X_ No_
_
If yes, please provide the number and title of the adopted resolution(s) as well as your rationale for the
addition of this Proposed Resolution:
2002.4 - Prescription Discount Cards
APhA-ASP opposes the implementation of prescription discount card programs that do not serve the best
interests of our patients, pharmacists, and pharmacies.
Prescription discount cards offer a percentage or a fixed rate off of prescriptions, specifically. Gift cards
are a separate issue, as they can be used to purchase anything, store-wide, and may not fall under the
purview of this previous proposal. Gift cards given to entice patients to transfer their prescriptions for
monetary benefit, and do not serve the best interest of the patient insofar as their health is concerned,
putting the patient at risk for missed medication interactions and suboptimal counselling on the
medication regimen.
2003.6 - Consolidation of Prescriptions at One Pharmacy
APhA–ASP strongly encourages health care professionals to educate patients about the importance of
consolidating their prescriptions at one pharmacy to facilitate improved pharmacist monitoring of therapeutic
response, as well as provide for a mechanism to more effectively manage potential interactions.
The practice of offering enticements to patients in exchange for transferring prescriptions encourages
them to transfer single prescriptions from one pharmacy to another, in order to take maximum
advantage of this gift card reward (they can usually only transfer prescriptions for a gift card once per
month, so will transfer multiple prescriptions to multiple pharmacies). This works against our stated goal
of encouraging patients to consolidate their prescriptions at one pharmacy, and increases the risks
associated with noncompliance to a medical regimen and incomplete interaction counselling.
2004.8 - Promotional Incentives that Compromise Patient Care
APhA-ASP opposes the use of one-time promotional strategies or financial incentives by pharmacies that
compromise patient care and safety and reaffirms APhA-ASP resolution 2003.6.
The gift-card program currently in use by chain pharmacies is an ongoing practice (not a one-time
promotion) in many pharmacies located within grocery stores and department stores, and may fall
under the responsibility of the larger store in which the pharmacy is located. If this is the case, then this
is a loophole around the original resolution, and needs to be addressed.
Author of Proposed Resolution: Crystal D Gleason
Author Phone Number: 352-208-0930
Please use only one form for each proposed resolution. Forms must be submitted by the Chapter via email to the APhA-ASP
Regional Delegate two (2) weeks prior to the start of the Midyear Regional Meeting.

3. Author Email Address: CGleason62003@rx.lecom.edu
Please use only one form for each proposed resolution. Forms must be submitted by the Chapter via email to the APhA-ASP
Regional Delegate two (2) weeks prior to the start of the Midyear Regional Meeting.