A sense of community and pride at Legislative Days
Madison Hamel is a second-year PharmD candidate at the South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions.
In early February, I had the opportunity to travel to Pierre, SD, for our chapter’s annual Legislative Days. It was such an exciting opportunity for me to learn more about the policy process, use my patient care skills, and form stronger connections with peers and faculty.
Prepared to advocate
We arrived in Pierre on Tuesday afternoon and enjoyed dinner with other members and leaders of the South Dakota Pharmacists Association (SDPhA). This evening was a great way to meet other pharmacists practicing throughout the state of South Dakota and share experiences from the workplace, internships, and Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences. Following dinner, SDPhA leaders shared information regarding their current proposal: House Bill 1135, a bill to provide transparency with PBMs and prescription drug pricing. In this discussion, I learned about all the work that goes into drafting a bill and how it moves through the legislative process.
These conversations prepared us well for Wednesday morning, when we arrived at the state capitol early to provide patient care screenings and to talk with legislators. We set up screenings in the House and Senate lobbies, which provided the perfect environment to initiate discussion with legislators about the PBM bill.
The most exciting part about our trip to Pierre was hearing House Bill 1135 presented to the House Commerce and Energy Committee, as we were fortunate enough that the hearing landed on the day of our visit. Forty student pharmacists filled the room, along with many other pharmacists and community members—so many that it was standing room only. This was such a powerful testament to the profession to see so many students in white coats advocating for pharmacists across the state. During the testimony, I learned just how destructive PBMs have been, especially for rural, independently owned pharmacies in South Dakota. It was impressive to hear the testimony of pharmacists and SDPhA leaders as they shared personal stories of how PBMs have prevented them from providing optimal care for patients.
Our strong voice is heard
I was nervous going into this Legislative Days experience. I knew next to nothing about the legislative process, and policy in general has always been something that has been very intimidating to me. The visit helped me to get a better understanding of how a bill works its way through the legislative process. I was also able to see the impact of advocacy firsthand.
Overall, I am walking away from Legislative Days with a sense of community and pride within the profession of pharmacy. It was such an amazing experience to see professionals and students come together in this setting to advocate for change benefiting future pharmacists and patients. So often it is so easy to feel unheard, but Legislative Days demonstrated just how impactful our voice can be. We can have such a strong voice in advocating for the future of pharmacy practice if we use it!