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Psychiatric pharmacists improve access to care, optimize medication outcomes and reduce health care costs. There are approximately 1500 Board-certified Psychiatric Pharmacists in the US. Leveraging 340B savings is an important means to sustain and expand access to high quality psychiatric pharmacy patient care services, including comprehensive medication management.

Congress should take action on permanent telehealth reform. Remove restrictions on medicare beneficiary access to mental and behavioral health services provided via telehealth. Remove restrictions on the location of the patient and provider. Allow telephonic (audio-only) services for mental health and substance use disorder services. Continue payment parity for telehealth services.

AAPP details the policy changes needed to enable psychiatric pharmacists to be key professionals helping to bridge care gaps and enhance care integration for people with multiple co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions and complex medication regimens in both primary care and behavioral health settings. Medicare enhancements, inclusion of psych pharmacists in the collaborative care model, and financial support of PGY2 residencies are among the policy recommendations.

The AAPP Board and Government Affairs Committee have identified policy priorities which reflect the identity of our organization, help us work on behalf of our patients, serve our members’ interests, and create an action plan for best targeted impact. The advocacy fact sheets below support these policy priorities.

SAMHSA Releases Strategic Priorities

On Sept. 10, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released its strategic priorities, its work going forward and alignment with Make America Healthy Again and other administration priorities. The executive summary says SAMHSA’s mission remains focused on treating mental illness, preventing addiction, fostering recovery and improving access to care for all Americans.

Patients living with serious mental illness have complex and growing needs and the behavioral health workforce can't keep pace with the ratcheting demand for services. This fact sheet outlines this growing crisis and describes how, similar to the VA model, psychiatric pharmacists can serve as a leading option to expand access to care and assist in filling gaps. Congress must take action to remove barriers to the inclusion of psychiatric pharmacists as outlined in this fact sheet.

Physician Fee Schedule Comments Submitted by AAPP

AAPP submitted comments on CMS’s CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule, encouraging the agency to strengthen behavioral health integration in primary care, expand telehealth flexibilities, and proceed cautiously with proposed changes to the 340B program. AAPP also responded to an embedded request for information on prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) requirements and as always, took the opportunity to encourage CMS to recognize psychiatric pharmacists as qualified health care professionals as well as create payment pathways for pharmacist-provided comprehensive medication management.
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AAPP Outcomes Grant The application portal is OPEN. Deadline: Oct.

Leading with the Evidence: September President Letter

Unprecedented, turbulent, unparalleled. These are all adjectives that are used to describe the challenges impacting public health and psychiatry daily. Watching the attacks on evidence-based care unfold since early 2025, AAPP has been engaged in efforts to state our core advocacy beliefs with the goal to: 

DEI Travel Grant to AAPP 2026 Now Open for Applications

AAPP Foundation and the AAPP DEI Committee are pleased to announce the 2026 DEI Travel Grant to the Annual Meeting. The DEI Travel Grant application window is open September 15- November 14, 2025. The goal of this grant is to support up to 2 practicing pharmacists and residents who are: