In this episode, we take a closer look at Pharmacy Day at the Capitol in West Virginia, exploring the critical role advocacy plays in shaping the future of the pharmacy profession. Joined by two fourth-year pharmacy students, Chloe Anderson and Mary Taylor, we hear firsthand what it's like to step beyond the classroom and into the legislative arena.

They share how Pharmacy Day brings together pharmacists, technicians, and students to meet directly with lawmakers, ensuring the profession's voice is heard on issues that impact both patient care and pharmacy practice. What may seem like a single day event is actually the result of months of planning—tracking legislation, coordinating meetings, and preparing materials to effectively communicate key priorities.

The conversation dives into two major advocacy topics from this year's event: PBM reform (House Bill 5430), aimed at lowering drug costs and improving access to care, and efforts to strengthen workplace safety protections for pharmacy staff. Chloe and Mary reflect on how surprisingly receptive and informed many legislators were, and how meaningful even brief conversations can be in influencing policy.

Beyond policy, this episode highlights the personal impact of advocacy. Both students describe how the experience reshaped their understanding of leadership, emphasizing the importance of "showing up," staying engaged, and supporting the profession beyond daily practice.

Whether you're a student, pharmacist, or simply interested in healthcare policy, this episode offers an inside look at how advocacy works in action—and why it matters.

In this WVPA Partner Series episode, Aubrey Hersch, PharmD, sits down with Kelly Bailey, Vice President of GRX Marketing, to talk about how pharmacies can plan early for a successful flu season. They cover outreach timing, proven communication tactics, addressing vaccine hesitancy, and what it looks like to partner with GRX Marketing to build a strong immunization campaign.

You can contact Kelly Bailey at kelly.bailey@grxmarketing.com

WVPA's Pharmaceutical Crime Correspondent, Shabbir Safdar, from the Partnership for Safe Medicines, provides updates on the Aminov case (check out previous podcast episode for more information) and discusses recent trends in botox and semaglutide counterfeiting. We have a candid, funny discussion about why one should not purchase medications from ETSY - you don't want to miss this episode packed with interesting updates in the world of counterfeiting.

https://www.safemedicines.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Govt-Sentencing-Memo-Aminov.pdf

Join us as we talk to Tommy Pile, PharmD, Monis Ali, and Lexi Atkinson from MUSOP about PBM Reform and how states are regulating pharmacy benefit managers in different ways.

See MUSOP Poster Presentation here:

Prescription for Reform: A Comparative Study of State Level Regulations on Pharmacy Benefit Managers by MUSOP (under Reimbursement)

Check out other reports and resources around PBM Reform here:

Trends in Profitability and Compensation of PBMs and PBM Contracted Entities by Nephron Research

Unraveling The Drug Pricing Blame Game by 3 Axis Advisors

Pharmacists United For Truth and Transparency

PBM Accountability Project

We sit down with Shabbir Safdar, Executive Director of Partnership for Safe Medicine, a public health group committed to the safety of prescription drugs and protecting consumers against counterfeit, substandard or otherwise unsafe medicines.

Shabbir will be a regular guest on our podcast throughout 2024 sharing stories of pharmaceutical counterfeiting and how we can prevent unsafe medicines from getting in our pharmacies and in the hands of our patients.

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/buying-using-medicine-safely/counterfeit-medicine

US vs. Aminov Indictments

Beginning July 1, 2021, people interested in a pharmacy technician career can receive their training through the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy. The School of Pharmacy's Pharmacy Technician Education Program is open to those 18 years of age and older. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED and pass a drug screening and background check.

The program is recognized by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy. The majority of the program content is online, with an additional 120 hours of externship. Even though the course content is housed online, the student has the advantage of creating a personal connection with the instructor via text or email, in addition to instructor feedback on all homework assignments. Experienced pharmacist and pharmacy educator, Judith Riffee, is the instructor. Riffee has had over 10 years of experience in teaching pharmacy technicians.

The course is self-paced and designed for the didactic portion to be completed in 20 weeks, although students may finish earlier. The School's Pharmacy Technician Program comprises six modules consisting of recorded video, assessments, and homework. Included in the course assessments are competencies in mastering the Top 200 drugs within their study of therapeutic categories.

The externship portion of the course is coordinated through the Office of Experiential Learning of the WVU School of Pharmacy, utilizing preceptors who evaluate students in the workplace according to defined competencies.

Upon satisfactory completion of both the online and experiential portion of the course, students receive a certificate of completion through the WVU School of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Education. Should students desire to add to their credentials, they would be qualified to prepare and sit for the PTCB Certification Exam. Satisfactory completion at this level yields a nationally recognized certification for practice as a pharmacy technician and the opportunity to attain various specialty practice certifications via several PTCB specialty certification exams.

If interested in learning more about the Pharmacy Technician Education Training program, please contact Pharmacy Technician Enrollment Coordinator Brian Taylor, btaylor@rvhsolutions.com or 800-671-0331, or the School of Pharmacy's Director of Continuing Education Dr. Ginger Scott, vscott@hsc.wvu.edu or 304-293-1553, or lead instructor Judy Riffee at Judy.Riffee@gmail.com.

Allison Given is a P2 student at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy. In October 2022, she won our American Pharmacy Month contest asking for essay submissions on what the APhM theme of "Improving Health, Increasing Access", meant in their own words. We sat down many months later to discuss her essay, her experiences so far in pharmacy, and how as pharmacists we wrestle with access issues more than many other healthcare professionals because we see it in the billing and have face-to-face encounter with people at the point of sale. In rural West Virginia, the issue of access is even more concerning with transportation concerns in pharmacy deserts.

May 22nd is Infectious Diseases Pharmacists Day to recognize Infectious Disease Pharmacists and their impact on patient care and contributions to the health care team. Dr. Jen Sparks, PharmD with Marshall School of Pharmacy shares a little about the career path of infectious disease pharmacy and why Infectious Disease Pharmacists Day is such an important day to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial stewardship, especially in the Mountain State.

Antibiotic Use | CDC

IDSA Home (idsociety.org)

Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (pids.org)

Infectious Diseases, Education & Pharmacists | IDStewardship

Antimicrobial Stewardship (contagionlive.com)

Home (sidp.org)

CDC Antibiotic Use Per Capita Map (2021)

WV Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services