Pharmacy students attend Student Pharmacist Legislative Day

On Feb. 13, students and faculty from the College of Pharmacy attended the Student Pharmacist Legislative Day in Columbus, Ohio. The advocacy event provides an opportunity for student pharmacists to meet with legislators to educate them about the value of pharmacists on the health care team. Students learned about the latest legislative issues at the Ohio Statehouse and how to effectively communicate those issues. They heard from the legislators themselves and had a chance to individually visit the legislators’ offices.

Fourth-year pharmacy student Momitul Talukdar reflected on her experience:

“Your voice matters,” Representative Scott Lipps’ voice echoed in a ballroom full of white-coated pharmacy students and faculty. I felt inspired to face legislators, speak about House bills and advocate for my pharmacy profession.

Along with my nine other pharmacy colleagues and my assistant dean, Dr. Jaclyn Boyle, we visited Columbus for Ohio Pharmacy Association’s Legislative Day. We walked up the stairs of the statehouse and had our picture taken with the hundreds of other Ohio pharmacy students. Then we all dispersed to attend our designated appointments with legislators to discuss test-and-treat legislation, white-bagging, co-pay accumulators, immunization administration, prescribing off-label drugs and remote dispensing pharmacies.

I was passionate about immunization administration. In 2021, I administered many vaccinations to thousands of patients. To continue expanding access to immunizations, I was excited to talk about Senate Bill 144 regarding immunization administration. This bill brings back many provisions for certified pharmacy technicians from the public health emergency, like administering vaccines, in the same way I have as an intern. This bill would help with the workload, prevent burnout for pharmacists and elevate the role of the pharmacy technician workforce. Several pharmacy students from other Ohio pharmacy schools also shared their COVID clinic experiences with legislators and staff.

Returning to NEOMED, I felt hopeful for the future of pharmacy, knowing that I used my voice and advocated for my fellow future pharmacists.