Earlier this winter, UW student pharmacists headed to Olympia to push for expanded prescriptive authority, standing alongside the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA) in a powerful showcase of solidarity.
Donning white coats and a powerful message, our PharmD candidates advocated with lawmakers and elected officials to modernize the way pharmacy works in Washington State. Guided by faculty, legislators and local pharmacy leaders, our students are working to cut through red tape, empowering pharmacists to focus on what matters most – patient care.
In an era where Primary Care Physicians are in short supply, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to fill a gap in the healthcare system – one where their impact will be felt immediately, especially when it comes to preventative care and treating minor conditions. Right now, millions of Washingtonians reside in areas with lengthy wait times for medical appointments.
Here’s the good news: Pharmacists are already in our communities – right here, right now – well-established and ready to meet the need.
As highly trained, doctorate-level healthcare providers, pharmacists are the medication experts you see in clinics, hospitals and local pharmacies, managing everything from chronic conditions to vaccines to quick, everyday health needs.
In other words, pharmacists are doctors, too – professional healthcare providers with the capacity to treat everyday conditions like UTIs, strep throat, seasonal allergies and more. So why not give them the power to make healing happen? This is the question our student pharmacists brought to lawmakers in the Washington State legislature.
When pharmacists are empowered to prescribe, finding care becomes quicker and easier – especially for those time-sensitive issues that can quickly escalate from everyday ailment to all-out emergency. Rising above public policy, expanding prescriptive authority for pharmacists is about our neighbors getting the care they need, when they need it. And that’s something worth celebrating.
