Editorial By: Dirk White, RPh
Executive Vice President, WSPC
Legislative Affairs Group Leader WSPC, Alaska
In the WSPC News Magazine last July, I urged members to invite U.S. and State legislators to personally visit our pharmacies during the summer legislative session breaks. Any responses?
If a legislator or a staffer visited, congratulations! WSPC invites you to share a synopsis of your conversations and the photos.
To be honest, I consider a meeting with a staffer, not to mention a legislator, to be a 60-yard field goal against the wind. For years, I have unsuccessfully invited legislators to my store, and I will continue to invite them until they walk through my pharmacy’s door.
On the other hand, your legislators, including U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and State legislators, may surprise you and immediately respond with a visit. One point is certain, if you don’t ask, they will not spontaneously appear.
Importantly, Medicare is a large portion of our pharmacy business, and in most cases, one of our better payers; courting state legislatures is very important. During state legislative breaks, educate legislators and their staffers about new and current bills to be introduced or shepherded through channels before landing on the governor’s desk to sign into law.
In addition, as part of your grass roots legislative advocacy, educate the governor and staff about the bills, and why signing them is in the best interest of his or her constituents—your patients and families.
Bills, especially those containing unfamiliar health care information, may be difficult to grasp. The more education, the more staffers “get it” and educate their bosses. The complexity of staffer’s questions demonstrates that they are interested, listening, and becoming familiar with your agenda items. Cultivate and nurture these staffers—their current “Bosses” may not get re-elected, but in the next session, they may work for other legislators.
One of the statements by a legislator that really annoys me goes something like, “It can’t be all that bad out there, you are the only pharmacist I have heard from about this issue.”
In the WSPC July news magazine, I quoted my friend Sal:
“Get into politics or get out of pharmacy.”
If we do not tell each and every legislator our concerns, then we deserve continued shrinking margins. The squeaky wheel gets greased.
To get started, check out this Advocacy Tip Sheet that stems from knowledge I learned attending grassroots advocacy seminars, legislative visits, and suggestions from lobbyists and other professionals.
In conclusion, we are all legislative constituents and our votes count, as do our patients’ and their family’s votes. Good luck! Do good! And have fun!
To learn the legislators from your state, surf thomas.gov, senate.gov, and house.gov. Current federal and state Pharmacy-Related Bills may be viewed by referring to the July WSPC News Magazine, Pages 11–13.
For additional pharmacy legislative information, questions or comments, email [email protected] and/or [email protected].
