“Paul” was sick with COVID-19 and starting to have trouble breathing. But when he went to the local emergency department (ED) on a Friday evening, they turned him away because they didn’t have any more beds. As a last resort, he went to De Queen Health and Wellness Pharmacy in De Queen, AR, where he heard he could get treatment.

September 9, 2021, was a busy day for the federal government and pharmacy stakeholders alike: Just a few hours apart, we saw significant developments in pharmacists’ COVID-19 pandemic practice authorities and prescription drug pricing. Both items yielded positive news for pharmacists and their patients.

It should be abundantly clear that APhA has several bones to pick with big pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). These PBMs, operating under the guise of altruism, paint themselves as saints who work to lower prescription drug prices for the masses. Instead, they actively game the system by knocking out pharmacy competitors, reducing patient access to medicines and pharmacist services, and ripping off patients, employers, and taxpayers.

The overall goal of the Partners in D program is to cultivate an environment where patients feel empowered to take ownership of their health while gaining a better understanding of their medications and prescription drug coverage. Now in its 15th year, the program has evolved over time from an outreach elective for student pharmacists to an interprofessional elective and, most recently, part of the pharmacy school’s core curriculum.