APhA statement on Supreme Court decision preserving patient access to crucial medications

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) is pleased that the result of today's Supreme Court decision in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, that the plaintiffs lacked standing, will preserve patients' access to FDA-approved medications.

While the court's decision did not address FDA's regulatory and legal responsibility set forth by Congress, future court decisions should not stand in the way of a pharmacist providing FDA-regulated medications and evidence-based patient care services while carrying out their obligations to their patients.

APhA and our nation's pharmacists stand behind the FDA review and approval process that relies on evidence-based expert review to establish the safety and efficacy of marketed drugs. The FDA gold standard for approval has been in place for nearly 120 years and is the basis for pharmacists' trust and confidence in the medicines they recommend and dispense to patients.

Patients' access to certain medications is challenged in parts of the country where state laws prohibit the use of medications that have reproductive health uses but are also FDA-approved for treatment of chronic diseases; for example, methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis or misoprostol for ulcer prevention. The current lack of clarity between conflicting laws and regulations creates confusion, and it is compromising patient care. APhA applauds the Supreme Court for supporting FDA-approval processes and authority.

Without access to medications that have already been proven to be safe and effective, our patients' health is compromised. As pharmacists, we view patient well-being as paramount and are grateful that this decision preserves the sanctity of the FDA's evidence-based review and approval process. APhA continues to call on policymakers to ensure through guidance, law, or regulation that vital FDA-approved medications and access to patient care is preserved and protected and that pharmacists should be free to continue to practice pharmacy without fear of professional sanction or liability.

SOURCE American Pharmacists Association