As we reach the midpoint of American Pharmacists Month, we must continuously honor the pharmacists who do heroic work every day in the face of incredible pressures. Pharmacy workforce shortages exist in almost every area of the country. Corporations can seem insufficiently responsive to the stresses of pharmacy practice. Patients may aggressively challenge the professional judgment of pharmacists and other pharmacy personnel. A toxic mixture of vaccine misinformation and disinformation fuels distrust. Keeping up-to-date with the rapidly evolving vaccine guidance from government authorities can be difficult. We recognize these problems and are thankful for your invaluable work.

Earlier this month, HHS was working on an aggressive deadline. President Joe Biden had given them 45 days to develop a comprehensive plan to lower drug prices, and the clock was ticking. HHS asked stakeholders across the spectrum to provide input during a special roundtable discussion. Guess who they called from pharmacy?

Bad, broken systems thrive on apathy and inaction. As recent events both inside and outside pharmacy have taught us, it’s on each of us to call out what’s wrong, break patterns of dysfunction, and fix the problem.

Alis Volat Propriis—“She flies with her own wings”—is Oregon’s state motto. The government first adopted the slogan in 1854 as a hat tip to the independent spirit of the pioneers who formed Oregon’s first government. The slogan was replaced by others over the years until lawmakers brought it back in 1987—arguing that it still reflected Oregon’s traditions of independence and innovation.