Why Pharmacists Should Advocate for a Single-Payer Healthcare System – Guest Writers Thomas J. Cook and Tashrique Rahman

If you ask a pharmacist or student pharmacist what motivated them to follow their career path, a common answer will likely include the desire to improve people’s lives through quality pharmaceutical care. If you ask a practicing pharmacist what most frustrates them about their pharmacy career, you are likely to hear a litany of complaintsContinue reading “Why Pharmacists Should Advocate for a Single-Payer Healthcare System – Guest Writers Thomas J. Cook and Tashrique Rahman”

Free the Pill: Leveraging Pharmacists to Address Contraception Deserts and Enhance Access – Guest Writers Lynda Nguyen and Cortney Mospan

During my three years of didactic learning, advocacy for and the advancement of the pharmacy profession, MY profession, admittedly fell by the wayside. Instead, my focus was solely on my present – exams, organizational activities, internships, etc. Looking at the current state of the profession and patients’ health disparities didn’t seem as imperative as theContinue reading “Free the Pill: Leveraging Pharmacists to Address Contraception Deserts and Enhance Access – Guest Writers Lynda Nguyen and Cortney Mospan”

How to make Congress see the value of pharmacists!

The Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, or Provider Status, was introduced into Congress about a month ago and since that time we have seen a flurry of discussion about the bill. Advocates are sending letters and meeting with their members of Congress to discuss the importance of this bill for Medicare beneficiaries inContinue reading “How to make Congress see the value of pharmacists!”

Provider Status Explained: What Pharmacists can do to advocate for Provider Status

Last week we got some incredibly exciting news  with the introduction of H.R. 2759 – The Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act — into the United States (U.S.) House of Representatives. This bipartisan piece of legislation was introduced by Representatives G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and David McKinley (R-WV). As a quick reminder, this bill wouldContinue reading “Provider Status Explained: What Pharmacists can do to advocate for Provider Status”

We The People: Voter Suppression and Its Effect on Pharmacy & Health

Civic participation, including voting in local, state, and federal elections, ensures that all people can advocate for issues that concern them, including education, transportation, and of course, health. The impact of an individual’s right to vote is enormous. Voting specifically allows all American citizens the right to choose who will serve them as local andContinue reading “We The People: Voter Suppression and Its Effect on Pharmacy & Health”

Monthly Roundup – February 2021

It is hard to believe, but we at The Grassroots Pharmacist have been putting out content and resources for nearly a year. During the first year of the pandemic, we saw such dramatic health policy changes happening so frequently that it warranted continual blog posts on all that was changing. As we look forward, andContinue reading “Monthly Roundup – February 2021”

Final CMS rule changes that matter to pharmacists

In the final days of the Trump administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have finalized a flurry of rules and made announcements that can impact both the profession of pharmacy and the patients of pharmacists. This week, we review these rules and what to look out for as the leadership of CMSContinue reading “Final CMS rule changes that matter to pharmacists”

President-Elect Joe Biden & Prescription Drug Pricing Reform – Guest Writer Grace Singson

As the number of cases and lives claimed by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to surge, access to affordable prescription medication remains a leading healthcare priority for Americans. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation,  29% of the estimated 195 million patients taking prescription drugs do not take their medications as directed due to costs. This canContinue reading “President-Elect Joe Biden & Prescription Drug Pricing Reform – Guest Writer Grace Singson”

A reflection on pharmacists’ advocacy in 2020

We hope that each of you are making the most of the season and are finding some comfort in what might be a very different holiday celebration. We here at The Grassroots Pharmacist didn’t anticipate writing an end of the year post, partly because so much of this had been played out and said elsewhere.Continue reading “A reflection on pharmacists’ advocacy in 2020”

The Gap with Implementing Pharmacist Policy – Guest Writer Matthew Westling

Recently, the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association published a secret shopper study describing counseling provided during the dispensing of naloxone at chain pharmacies in Texas. Although it may seem crazy that the average counseling time was only 89 seconds, what was more striking was that any formulation of naloxone was unavailable at almost one-thirdContinue reading “The Gap with Implementing Pharmacist Policy – Guest Writer Matthew Westling”