pharmacy law, policy and advocacy: why should we care in pharmacy practice?
DESCRIPTION
This is part of a presentation I gave on 4/9/14 about why pharmacists and health care professionals should CARE about policy & advocacy. It also includes tips on how to get involved in policy and advocacy at the IN local and national levels. Last, I share actual pharmacists who served in public offices.TRANSCRIPT
Law, Policy, and Advocacy: Why Should We Care in Pharmacy?
Erin Albert, MBA, PharmD, JD, Esq.
Delivery of HealthcareButler University COPHS
4.9.14
Objectives1. Define, compare and contrast the following
terms:
policy, law, and advocacy.
2. Explain the role of associations in policy and
advocacy.
3. Identify options for association membership.
4. Describe policy institutes (think tanks) & their
role(s) in law, policy and advocacy.
5. List ways to get involved in policy and advocacy
for pharmacy practice.
The Current Climate
• Pharmacy is one of THE most regulated industries in the U.S.
• The GDP of healthcare in the U.S. is nearing 20% of our entire economy.1
– The most expensive healthcare systems on Earth1
– Drugs are approximately 10-15% of total healthcare GDP in the U.S.
• Is this sustainable?
1. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.TOTL.ZS
Source:OECD Health Data 2013http://www.oecd.org/unitedstates/Briefing-Note-USA-2013.pdf
See Health Expenditure as a Share of GDP,OECD Countries:
Q: Who writes law and policy in the US?
Q: Who writes law and policy in the US?
A: THE LAWYERS!!!
60% of the Senate are lawyers37% of the House of Representatives are lawyers
Overall, 43% of Congress are lawyers!
Policy vs. Law• Policy: A “guiding principle used to set direction
in an organization,” …a “course of action to
guide and influence decisions.”1
• Law: The “system of rules” that a particular
governing body (local, state, federal
government) “recognizes as regulating the
actions of its members and enforces by
imposition of penalties.”1. http://www.bizmanualz.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-policies-and-procedures.html
2. Adapted from Google’s definition of the word “law.”
Advocacy
• Advocacy: Public support for a
recommendation of a particular
cause, policy or proposed law.
• Advocacy can influence BOTH
– Law AND
– Policy
Law vs. Policy – Examples:Law
• The Federal and StateControlled Substances Acts
Policy• A pharmacy chain with a policy to call the doctor before filling a CII Rx
• A prescription has legal refills still on it.
• An insurance company will not cover the prescription
• Plan B may be legally sold OTC
• A pharmacist refuses to fill Plan B due to religious reasons
Law vs. Policy – Examples:Law
• The Federal and StateControlled Substances Acts
Policy• A pharmacy chain with a policy to call the doctor before filling a CII Rx
• A prescription has legal refills still on it.
• An insurance company will not cover the prescription
• Plan B may be legally sold OTC
• A pharmacist refuses to fill Plan B due to religious reasonsADVOCACY
Who May Create Policy?
• The government (local, state, federal)
• Companies - employers
• Other Organizations – non profits, hospitals, think
tanks, etc.
• Professional Groups or Societies
– APhA, ASHP, ASPL, ASCP, AACP, ACCP, NACDS, AMCP,
NCPA, FDLI, DIA, etc.
• Y-O-U
Let’s Discuss One of YOUR Personal Professional Policies
• What is your personal professional policy on
Social Media?
– Do you “friend” patients? Can they “friend” you?
– Do you “friend” co-workers or colleagues?
– Do you “friend” your boss? Your parents? Your
professors?
– What if you can’t tell WHO is following you?
Healthcare & Social Media Policy
If you were going to start crafting
your own Social Media Policy,
where would you start?
Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Clinic:
http://sharing.mayoclinic.org/guidelines/for-
mayo-clinic-employees/
• ASHP’s statement on social media:
http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/BestPractic
es/AutoITStSocialMedia.aspx
• Others?
Advocacy & Policy Resources
http://www.pharmacy.vcu.edu/programs/post_grad/publicpolicy/advocacy/
Example: Provider Status
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/464663
Am J Health-System Pharmacy:
How Nurse Practitioners Obtained Provider Status: Lessons for Pharmacists
What is a Think Tank?• “A think tank is an organization that sponsors
research on specific problems, encourages the
discovery of solutions to those problems, and
facilitates interaction among scientists and
intellectuals in pursuit of these goals.”1
• “A public policy think tank explicitly focuses on
government policies, usually for the purpose of
improving those policies or creating viable
alternatives.”1
1. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/what-is-a-think-tank
Examples of Healthcare Think Tanks
• Center for Health and Economy (new)
Top 10 global health policy think tanks:1
1. Harvard School of Public Health, Dept. of Health Policy and Management
2. Brookings Institution
3. American Enterprise Institute
4. RAND Corporation
5. Urban Institute
6. Cato Institute
7. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Research Centers
8. Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy
9. Fraser Institute [Canada]
10. Council on Foreign Relations Global Health Program1. According to the American Hospital Association: http://aharesourcecenter.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/top-health-policy-think-tanks/
10 Ways to Get Involved in Pharmacy Policy & Advocacy
1. Vote
• Are you registered to vote?
• Where to learn how to register to
vote and requirements for your state:
http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/
default.aspx
2. Write
• Write articles about topics you care about in
pharmacy practice.
• Write a blog.
• Tweet and post in social media about pharmacy
topics you care about.
• Write your representatives about pending
legislation.
• Answer during notice & comment on pending law.
3. Talk to Your Reps
http://www.nann.org/uploads/files/Getting_Involved_in_Health_Policy_and_Advocacy.pdf
4. Join
• Are you a member of any pharmacy
organizations, like BSAP? IPA? Pharmacy
fraternity?
• Consider joining up to 3 professional
organizations when in the profession. (1 local, 1
state and 1 national)
• Attend one national pharmacy meeting per year
(see page 58 of The New Pharmacist book).
5. Get involved in a Cause or Candidate
• Contact your local party:
– www.gop.com
– www.democrats.org
– www.lp.org
• Contact a campaign
• Sign up for emailshttp://www.ena.org/government/EN_411/Documents/PoliticalCampaign.pdf
6. Sign &/or Start Petitions
• Change.org• We the People – White House• DoSomething.org
7. Consider a Fellowship
http://www.pharmacy.vcu.edu/programs/post_grad/healthcare-policy-fellow-program/
http://www.healthpolicyfellows.org/home.php
http://www.healthandagingpolicy.org/
8. Work in Policy or Advocacy
• Policy = think tanks or professional
organizations
• Advocacy = professional organizations
– Many non profit organizations have an executive
director with a “CAE” designation – a Certified
Association Executive:
http://www.asaecenter.org/AboutUs/contentCAE.cf
m?ItemNumber=16097
9. Law School &/or Lobbyist
• Many law schools have health law programs
– Including IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law
– Top health law programs:
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/b
est-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/clinical-
healthcare-law-rankings
• What is a lobbyist?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0psWOfgN80
10. Run for Office3/7/14 – Article in the NY Times about more physicians running for public office:
Real World Examples of Pharmacists Running for Office:
1. Hubert Humphrey – VP under Lyndon B. Johnson – highest ranking public office pharmacist
2. Curt Gielow – From IN, St. Louis COP – Mayor of Mequon, WI
3. Leticia Van De Putte – TX, pharmacist, currently running for Lt. Gov of TX
4. Buddy Carter – Pharmacist/entrepreneur of independent pharmacy, running for Congress in GA
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/us/politics/doctors-confident-in-their-healing-powers-rush-for-congress.html?_r=0
Training on Running for Office
The Women’s Campaign School at Yale:http://www.wcsyale.org/
The Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series:http://lugarseries.com/
The Indiana Leadership Forum:http://www.indianaleadershipforum.com/
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"Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed, it's the only
thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead