The Sequoia Project launches pharmacy interoperability group

The Sequoia Project, a non-profit advocate for nationwide health IT interoperability, has announced the official launch of a pharmacy workgroup as part of its Interoperability Matters program.

The pharmacy workgroup, first introduced last year, aims to address gaps in pharmacy interoperability by identifying key information that pharmacists need to access and share with providers and payers.

“Pharmacy interoperability supports better care coordination and patient services,” said Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project, in a press release. “We are happy to spearhead this new initiative to collectively foster and broaden pharmacy interoperability. We are grateful for the generosity of our sponsors, Surescripts, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation for creating a space for broad stakeholder discussion, prioritization and mobilization.”

The Sequoia Project held a series of listening sessions last year to guide the development of the workgroup, with many participants calling for increased awareness of the role pharmacists play as members of the care team.

“We are excited to get this workgroup kicked off,” said Melanie Marcus, chief marketing and customer experience officer at health IT vendor Surescripts. “We are taking a practical approach to advancing pharmacy interoperability and look forward to working with the highly engaged stakeholders committed to this effort, including community-retail pharmacies, health IT vendors, payers, providers and industry associations.”

The pharmacy workgroup will meet monthly, co-chaired by Meg Murphy, PharmD, pharmacy and regulatory affairs manager at Surescripts, and Pooja Babbrah, executive vice president of strategy and industry alignment at National Council for Prescription Drug Programs.

The workgroup hosted a kick-off event last month, welcoming 40 healthcare organizations as members, including the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP/ONC), CVS Health, Oracle Health and Epic.

“Interoperability is a critical component of advancing pharmacists' patient care services in collaboration with other healthcare providers,” said Benjamin Bluml, RPh, APhA Foundation executive director and senior vice president of research and innovation. “The Pharmacy Workgroup is a needed forum to advance interoperability with the patient in mind and is an initiative we fully support.”

The Sequoia Project planned the pharmacy workgroup with the help of a steering committee of partners, including Kevin Nicholson, R.Ph., J.D., vice president of policy, regulatory and legal affairs at NACDS, and Lisa Schwartz, PharmD, senior director, professional affairs at National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

“NACDS recognizes the Pharmacy Workgroup as a top-priority initiative to enhance Americans’ access to convenient, trusted, and high-quality pharmacy services,” said Steven C. Anderson, president and CEO of NACDS. “Interoperability and health and wellness innovation go hand-in-hand, and NACDS is honored to engage proactively in the Pharmacy Workgroup.”

Hannah Nelson has been covering news related to health information technology and health data interoperability since 2020.