Policy and Advocacy Corner
Policy and Advocacy Corner - by Lauren Bode
This week President Obama will sign in to law the Drug Quality and Security Act (HR 3204) which was prompted by the sale of tainted products from the New England Compounding Center last year. The fungal meningitis outbreak was indeed a tragedy, but for us it was also a failure. We often tout ourselves as the most trusted healthcare profession, and I would say that is largely true. However, that trust is not an inheritance; we must continually strive to deserve it. What this means for us as students is that we must stay focused on the larger goal.
HR 3204 only awaits a signature.
At this point in the semester many of us are tired from the seemingly endless cycle of exams and requirements. The burst of energy we received from MRM is in the rearview mirror and the well-deserved break over the holidays feels far off. It is at this exhausted point that I want to remind us all that we are not in pharmacy school to pass exams. Certainly, please do make every effort to pass, but that is not the point of it all anymore. We are in pharmacy school to learn how to take care of people, to heal people. We learn pharmacology so that we can use that information to counsel our patients. We learn therapeutics so that we can help a physician optimize a patient’s medication therapy. And we learn sterile compounding practices so that the tragedy of NECC never happens again.
Consider your academic efforts a form of professional advocacy as well. We must earn the respect of our colleagues, legislators, and patients before we can deserve it. We must certainly deserve it before we can get paid for it. So study hard, learn well, and stay focused on these higher goals.
About The APhA-ASP
APhA-ASP Region 3
The American Pharmacist Association is the oldest and largest professional organization for pharmacists in the country. The Academy of Student Pharmacists is held within APhA and is comprised by student pharmacists throughout the nation who are still taking classes at their respective colleges of pharmacy. APhA-ASP puts a strong emphasis on patient care initiatives, advocacy for the profession, and overall training to become a professional in the field of pharmacy.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments