June 25, 2026 – Alexandria, VA.
The Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP) convened national pharmacy organization leaders today at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria, Virginia, for a full‑day meeting focused on “Increasing Access and Improving Patient Care Outcomes with Technology.” The meeting, chaired by Brenda Schimenti, AAPP CEO, brought together CEOs, Presidential Officers, and senior staff from pharmacy associations to examine how technology, policy, and communication can be leveraged to strengthen patient care across settings.
Throughout the day, participants explored real‑world models and national strategies in three core areas: rural health transformation, health information technology and interoperability, and the critical role of pharmacists as trusted messengers in today’s healthcare environment.
The morning opened with a panel on state‑level Rural Health Transformation projects featuring representatives from Missouri (Annie Eisebeis) and Alaska (Brandy Seignemartin), who described how pharmacists are being integrated into care teams to expand access in underserved communities. Panelists highlighted technology‑enabled services and use of data to demonstrate and document pharmacist service value, payment approaches for pharmacist‑provided care, and early impact on patient outcomes. The discussion underscored the opportunity for state and national organizations to lift up and replicate successful models emerging from these grant‑funded initiatives.
A subsequent session with Mark Atalla, PharmD, MBA, Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), examined federal efforts to advance interoperability and their implications for pharmacist‑provided care. The facilitated dialogue addressed pharmacy data flows, medication and clinical data standards, TEFCA and Qualified Health Information Networks, and how improved data exchange can enable pharmacists to participate more fully in care coordination and value‑based models.
Building on the national perspective, a late‑morning panel featuring pharmacists Jeff Rochon of the Pharmacy HIT Collaborative and Frank Harvey of Surescripts focused on interoperability “inside pharmacy,” highlighting practical success stories, remaining barriers, and concrete steps associations can take to support adoption of interoperable systems, and engagement and inclusion of pharmacy with multi-disciplinary activities. Speakers emphasized the importance of standards, workflow integration, and sustainable business models for technology investments in both large and small pharmacy settings.
In the afternoon, participants turned to communication and trust in the session “Being a Trusted Messenger,” led by Todd Wolynn, MD, MMM, FAAP, Executive Director of Trusted Messenger. The session addressed evidence‑based communication strategies, countering misinformation, building trust with patients and communities, and how pharmacy organizations can equip members to effectively explain new care models, digital tools, and access issues to patients, families, and policymakers.
The meeting concluded with a structured “Takeaways and Next Steps” discussion, during which participants identified key commitments and areas for follow‑up work including supporting rural health innovation involving pharmacists, advancing priority interoperability use cases, and exploring tools and training to strengthen pharmacists’ roles as trusted messengers. JCPP’s next meeting will be held on September 17, 2026, at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria.