Drug Decriminalization Endorsed by Top Pharmacists

APhA's House of Delegates members adopted the new policy at the end of March, becoming one of the most significant medical associations to show support for broad decriminalization. The House added two new statements to its policy on illicit drugs.

"APhA supports decriminalization of the personal possession or personal use of illicit drug substances or paraphernalia," the plank reads. Still, the association remains against the "legalization of the possession, sale, distribution, or use of illicit drug substances for non-medical uses."

Additionally, APhA members voted to remove a previous policy plank that supported the implementation of drug courts over other means of criminal justice for those affected by drug-related charges. The revised policy instead reads: "APhA supports voluntary pathways for the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals who have been charged with the possession or use of illicit drug substances and who have substance use or other related medical disorders."

Sheila Vakharia, deputy director of the Drug Policy Alliance's (DPA) Department of Research and Academic Engagement, said in a press release statement that "APhA's historic statement recognizes that criminalization and punishment will only harm the most marginalized among us." 

She added: "Pharmacists should work to expand access to lifesaving harm reduction and treatment strategies that work." 

"We have lost over a million lives to preventable overdose deaths during the overdose crisis," she said. "It is clearer than ever that we must move away from a punitive approach toward one grounded in compassion and public health if we want to save lives."

Adrienne Simmons, director of programs at National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, said that APhA's "support for addressing substance use as a health issue, rather than a crime, strengthens pharmacists' roles as public health professionals and is a critical step toward addressing rising overdose and hepatitis C infection rates."

The last time the House of Delegates revisited its policy planks on illicit drugs was in 2016. Other policy statements reviewed by the House relate to pharmacists' workplace safety, patients' safety, culture approach to patients, access to reproductive health care, and access to essential medicines, among others.