APhA-ASP Region 8

    Touro University of California hosted their first Legislative Banquet on May 1st, 2014 in collaboration with American Pharmacists Association (APhA), California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP), and Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA). The banquet consisted of a dinner followed by a roundtable event designed to foster discussion about including pharmacist as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team

     Touro University Senior Provost and CEO, Shelley Berkley commenced and introduced the event followed by a keynote address by Assistant Dean of Administration, Dr. Keith Yoshizuka. Following the introduction, the program comprised of presentations from Norlyn Asprec, a representative from the office of Assemblymember Susan Bonilla and Evan Minton, representing Assemblymember Phil Ting’s office.

     Executive Officer of the California Board of Pharmacy Virginia Herold, CPhA CEO John Roth, CPhA Vice President of the Center of Advocacy Brian Warren, CPhA Policy & Advocacy Manager Megan Maddox, CSHP Outgoing President Steve Gray, CSHP Government Affairs Manager Jillian Hacker, CSHP CEO and Executive Vice President Dawn Benton, Touro University Faculty Drs. Wong, Chan, Shane and Palisoc, and Phi Lambda Sigma student member Dylan Mezzio served as roundtable speakers for the event.

     Discussion topics included: the implementation of SB 493, pharmacists’ provider status, AB 1535 allowing pharmacists to furnish naloxone, SB 1039 the efficient use of pharmacy personnel, AB 2418 eliminating the mail order requirement for refills to increase medication adherence, HR 4190 a proposed amendment to Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to recognize pharmacists as providers under Medicare Part B and in the Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), the process of bill implementation through the California Board of Pharmacy and California Medical Board, the importance of grassroots lobbying, and the impacts of SB 493 on Hospital and Managed Care Pharmacy.

     The Legislative Banquet concluded with a closing keynote from the chapter advisor of CPhA/APhA and SNPhA, Dr. Kajua Lor.  The legislative dinner served as a forum to unify different colleges of pharmacy from Touro University and the University of Pacific as well as exemplify inter-professionalism with students from Touro University students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Physician’s Assistant Program, and the Masters of Public Health Program. Touro University would like to acknowledge special thanks to all the Legislative Aides in attendance - Daniel Garcia, representing Congressman Mike Thompson’s office, Danny Bernardini, representing Senator Lois Wolk’s Office, and Ron Turner, representing Assemblymember Susan Bonilla’s office. In addition, we would like to thank our sponsor, the Diablo Society of Health System Pharmacists (DSHP). 

 University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

The University of the Pacific Pharmacy Students started off the new year with a roar as we reached out to the community through the Health Fair and explored the changing dynamics of pharmacy with a variety of new workshops and speaker events. Capitalizing on the momentum of recent legislative affairs, students are learning more about the growing fields of pharmacy as an essential provider of healthcare.

Reaching Out to the Community

Collaborating with twelve other student organizations, SALUD hosted a successful health outreach event to address several health care disparities in the Hispanic community. Screening and providing over one hundred flu vaccinations, this outreach  addressed other prominent health problems such as stroke and smoking. Stockton residents turned to student pharmacists to obtain more information on medication waste management, Hepatitis B, and medication therapy that was tailored to their budget. Students especially enjoyed the hands-on experience as they measured the direct impact of their contribution to the community.

Staying Connected on Campus

While students were reaching out to the community, we also made sure that they had plenty of chances to remain connected with previous and future students at this school. Distinguished alumni, such as Dean Oppenheimer, mingled with students during our annual Etiquette Dinner to teach students the ins and outs of professionalism and networking. In return, first and second years passed their knowledge onto the undergraduates during the mock interview sessions hosted for pre-pharmacy students applying for the graduate program the following year. Based on alumni and student feedback, these annual events are successful in unifying our campuses to connect students with mentors and alumni.

Complementary Approaches to Medicine

As a recent addition, the AIMRx committee started incorporating holistic health into the world of pharmacy by inviting Dr. Storch, a certified Reiki-Master, to demonstrate her methods of breath techniques, meditation, and awareness of the body. Offering this free workshop on complementary therapy, students combined these techniques with the clinical knowledge that they learn during school. Tiffany Riley, a first year student, remarked that “[this] was a great opportunity for students to learn about this Eastern form of healing. As future health care practitioners, it is important that we are well rounded in our studies and training to better serve our patients.” With the increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine, these workshops broaden the student’s scope of knowledge beyond the traditional practices of medicine.

Legislative Affairs: What’s Next?

With the recent advancement of Senate Bill 493, students requested clarification regarding these new opportunities as an integral member of the health care team. Pacific PharmAssistance brought guest speaker Dr. Del Prato from CSHP to give an overview of Covered California to over 85 students regarding its impact on pharmacists and patients in California. The primary focus was to share information on  the impact and implications of the Affordable Care Act, with an emphasis on the target population and how to help them meet their medication needs as an essential health care provider.

Afterwards, we were fortunate enough to have Dr. Heidi Ecker fly in from the east coast to bring the RxIMPACT Program, where she hosted a 50 minute educational session about the power of grassroots engagement and using effective communication to inform our legislators and influence policy outcomes. By learning more about legislature and its impact on the profession of pharmacy, students left the session feeling more motivated to become an active participant in the political process.

We will continue to channel that momentum during Legislative Day and many other Health Fairs as we continue to reach out to the surrounding community. At our last town hall meeting, we received positive feedback from the students, who are excited to explore more opportunities in pharmacy, and we can’t wait to attend the Student Programming at the West Coast Pharmacy Exchange!