On February 21, 2018, I had the privilege of attending the Ohio Pharmacists Association’s Student Legislative Night. Three keynote speakers, Cathy Kuhn, Megan Marchal, and Antonio Ciaccia, discussed their involvement with advocacy throughout their careers and current legislation that challenges the practice of pharmacy. I went to this event as I am interested in advocacy on the state level. I intend to become an advocate, not just for the practice of pharmacy, but for other issues that are important to me, such as housing and employment discrimination and food insecurity among impoverished populations. Throughout the night, two points continuously resonated with me while the speakers were presenting. First, getting involved in advocacy is easy. Secondly, navigating the political sphere while lobbying is arduous.
First off, what is the Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA)? As stated by The OPA, “The Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) was formed September 2, 1879 in Columbus, Ohio under the name Ohio State Pharmaceutical Association (OSPA). The purpose of the Association was to elevate the character of the pharmaceutical profession, by uniting the reputable druggists of the state in order to foster the education of those learning the art and thereby stimulate the talent of those engaged in pharmacy. In cooperation with its members and leaders, the present-day OPA continues to function by this purpose and act to positively impact the profession as these past extraordinary individuals did.” The OPA works to advance the practice and wellbeing of pharmacists by being advocates for legislation that improves the quality of the profession.
As stated by both Kuhn and Marchal, getting involved in advocacy is easy. Kuhn is the current president of the OPA, while Marchal is simultaneously an OPA member and currently serving as a chairman for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy (OBP). While Kuhn and Marchal had different experiences with advocacy in college, both noted that their current positions were achieved just by attending OPA meetings. They attended both general and committee meetings, and soon were asked to be on different committees, such as the Medication Therapy Management Committee and the Membership Committee. Soon afterwards, Kuhn was asked to run for president of the OPA, while Marchal was asked to be a chairman for the OBP. These ladies showed me that being an advocate doesn’t require some superior level of expertise/knowledge, but just by showing up to OPA meetings, my concerns can be addressed. I can become a voice for those in my community and address the issues that are conflating the pharmacy practice.
However, as stated by Ciaccia, advocacy becomes tricky while lobbying. Ciaccia works as a lobbyist for the OPA, speaking for the pharmaceutical profession. Ciaccia must navigate the political sphere, convincing legislators from both ends of the political field to either support, defeat, or negotiate on a bill. However, there is often conflicts of interest. Ciaccia admitted this happened when he was lobbying against House Bill 231, which would require pharmacists to maintain a supply of lockable vials for medications. While Ciaccia does not think the bill is feasible or viable, he noted that the two people that introduced the bill were representatives Ginter and Sprague, both of whom helped Ciaccia pass earlier bills. If he argued against their bill, he knew he would lose their support on future, more important pieces of legislation. To try and speak for the profession while simultaneously maintaining their support, Ciaccia worked against his interests and negotiated on the bill to make it reasonable. He taught me that you must be willing to make sacrifices to gain future support on more pivotal bills.
Overall, I know I would like to become an advocate, but perhaps not a lobbyist. Knowing myself, there are certain issues I would not and could not get myself to negotiate on to possibly benefit me in the future. Furthermore, I know I am not good at “navigating the battlefield” and being able to charismatically change someone’s view points. With that in mind, I know I would not like to go into lobbying. However, I do want to become an advocate and be the voice for people within my community and address their concerns with those that can make a difference.