article: SEC. 942. CERTAIN HEALTH PROFESSIONS PROGRAMS REGARDING PRACTICE OF PHARMACY. Part E of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294n et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following subpart: ``Subpart 3--Pharmacist Workforce Programs ``SEC. 771. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS. ``(a) Public Service Announcements.-- ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the pharmacist profession, highlight the advantages and rewards of being a pharmacist, and encourage individuals to enter the pharmacist profession. ``(2) Method.--The public service announcements described in subsection (a) shall be broadcast through appropriate media outlets, including television or radio, in a manner intended to reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible. ``(b) State and Local Public Service Announcements.-- ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to entities to support State and local advertising campaigns through appropriate media outlets to promote the pharmacist profession, highlight the advantages and rewards of being a pharmacist, and encourage individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter the pharmacist profession. ``(2) Use of funds.--An entity that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall use funds received through such grant to acquire local television and radio time, place advertisements in local newspapers, and post information on billboards or on the Internet, in order to-- ``(A) advertise and promote the pharmacist profession; ``(B) promote pharmacist education programs; ``(C) inform the public of public assistance regarding such education programs; ``(D) highlight individuals in the community that are presently practicing as pharmacists to recruit new pharmacists; and ``(E) provide any other information to recruit individuals for the pharmacist profession. ``(3) Method.--The campaigns described in subsection (a) shall be broadcast on television or radio, placed in newspapers as advertisements, or posted on billboards or the Internet, in a manner intended to reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible. ``SEC. 772. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT. ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a demonstration project to enhance the participation of individuals who are pharmacists in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program described in section 338B. ``(b) Services.--Services that may be provided by pharmacists pursuant to the demonstration project established under this section include medication therapy management services to assure that medications are used appropriately by patients, to enhance patients' understanding of the appropriate use of medications, to increase patients' adherence to prescription medication regimens, to reduce the risk of adverse events associated with medications, and to reduce the need for other costly medical services through better management of medication therapy. Such services may include case management, disease management, drug therapy management, patient training and education, counseling, drug therapy problem resolution, medication administration, the provision of special packaging, or other services that enhance the use of prescription medications. ``(c) Procedure.--The Secretary may not provide assistance to an individual under this section unless the individual agrees to comply with all requirements described in sections 338B and 338D. ``(d) Limitations.--The demonstration project described in this section shall provide for the participation of-- ``(1) individuals to provide services in rural and urban areas; and ``(2) enough individuals to allow the Secretary to properly analyze the effectiveness of such project. ``(e) Designations.--The demonstration project described in this section, and any pharmacists who are selected to participate in such project, shall not be considered by the Secretary in the designation of a health professional shortage area under section 332 during fiscal years 2003 through 2005. ``(f) Rule of Construction.--This section shall not be construed to require any State to participate in the project described in this section. ``(g) Report.--The Secretary shall prepare and submit a report on the project to-- ``(A) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; ``(B) the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; ``(C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and ``(D) the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. ``SEC. 773. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. ``(a) Grants and Contracts.--The Secretary may make awards of grants or contracts to qualifying schools of pharmacy for the purpose of assisting such schools in acquiring and installing computer-based systems to provide pharmaceutical education. Education provided through such systems may be graduate education, professional education, or continuing education. The computer-based systems may be designed to provide on-site education, or education at remote sites (commonly referred to as distance learning), or both. ``(b) Qualifying School of Pharmacy.--For purposes of this section, the term `qualifying school of pharmacy' means a school of pharmacy (as defined in section 799B) that requires students to serve in a clinical rotation in which pharmacist services are part of the curriculum. ``SEC. 774. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. ``For the purpose of carrying out this subpart, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2006.''.
summary: Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promote the pharmacist profession through public health service announcements, including grants for State and local advertising campaigns.Directs the Secretary to establish a demonstration project to enhance the participation of pharmacists in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program through the provision of medication therapy management services. Requires participants to follow Program requirements but excludes them from consideration when health professional shortage areas are designated.Authorizes the Secretary to make grants or contracts to qualifying schools of pharmacy (those requiring a pharmacy services clinical rotation) for computer-based systems for pharmaceutical education.Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2006.