53 A pharmacist’s obligation: advocating for change
53 A pharmacist’s obligation: advocating for change
Jeff Little, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, FACHE, FASHP
Hannah Van Ochten, PharmD, MPH
Topic Area
Advocacy/legislation
Public health policy
Learning Objectives
At the end of this case, students will be able to:
- Describe why advocacy in the profession of pharmacy is important
- List various strategies pharmacists can use to engage in advocacy
- Explain how legislation and regulatory authority are related
Introduction
One commonly defined goal among healthcare professions is to advocate on behalf of patients. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Code of Ethics states that “[a] pharmacist serves individual, community, and societal needs” and “seeks justice in the distribution of health resources.”1 Furthermore, the APhA Oath of a Pharmacist contains the following two clauses: “I will consider the welfare of humanity and the relief of suffering my primary concerns,” and “I will embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.”2 Finally, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Statement on Advocacy as a Professional Obligation states, “pharmacists should stay informed of issues that affect medication-related outcomes and advocate on behalf of patients, the profession, and the public. These issues may include legal, regulatory, financial, and other health policy issues, and this obligation extends beyond the individual practice site to their broader communities.”3
Other healthcare professions have similar statements. The American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics states that “physicians, individually and collectively through their professional organizations and institutions, should participate in the political process as advocates for patients (or support those who do) so as to diminish financial obstacles to access health care,” and that “the medical profession must work to ensure that the societal decisions about the distribution of health resources safeguard the interests of all patients and promote access to health services.”4 The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements states that “nurses must lead collaborative partnerships to develop effective public health legislation, policies, projects, and programs that promote and restore health, prevent illness, and alleviate suffering.”5 These statements indicate how these professions view advocacy not only as something which is inherent to each profession, but something which extends beyond being an advocate for an individual patient and involves advocating for policy and societal changes.
Being a successful pharmacy advocate requires an understanding of the legislative and regulatory framework which impacts the practice of pharmacy and the medication use process. Important to understand is the relationship between legislation and regulation, which starts with the structure of the government. The executive branch is in charge of carrying out the laws created by the legislative br