Opinion Piece 2: Advocate

Advocate

A friend of President Theodore Roosevelt, Squire Bill Widener, once said "Do what you can, with what you've got, where you are." Everyone can do something; every student can make an impact. Certainly, you can continue to make an impact as a resident, or fellow, or clinical pharmacist.

Advocacy is so vital to our profession to the degree that it is basically like another body part to our whole. No, it’s not placed under an ACPE required curriculum and no, it’s not under a LinkedIn job bullet point. Nonetheless, I promise you- it’s there in between the lines whether you sign up for it or not.

Pharmacy is not just going to work, 40 hours a week (possibly), at a retail or hospital, or otherwise, and managing a patient’s profile. It’s the advancements of adaptations and the improvements in scientific evolution from the apothecaries of America in the 1800s to the specialty pharmacies and collaborative practice facilities of the 2000s.

Where you stand is an extra step that someone took before to lead the way.

You cannot stay stagnant even if the water feels fine. Tell that to the boiled frog in the pot.

We must keep moving forward and advocating toward the skill assets that we can deliver as a pharmacist.

I strongly believe that every voice in the profession counts, and it vital to make one’s voice heard.?

So where does step one start.

There isn’t a standardized road map, but I can suggest a short list and we can discuss more options or other alternatives later.

1. Raise Awareness.

Do you attend local association meetings?

Are you apart of a state affiliate organization?

Are you actively involved with at least one national group?

Great, now that recruitment is over and you joined the draft, it’s time to get to work.

That’s just the training camp. That’s the practice.

That’s where you get your resources and tools to advocate. That’s where you get your coach and team to take the challenge to task.

It’s time to start the game.

Advocacy is often associated with being a constituent to a particular set of legislatures for a portion of the year. A great question thrown at me was, “what if I am an international student and not registered to vote?’

Well let me clear the air. Yes, legislative sessions are important, however, they do not encompass the entire game!

No fundamental sport would be played or even matter if the giant stadiums were empty. Who is in the stadium cheering and supporting?

Your community. The faces you see day in-day out.

What I wanted to get at with the idea of raising awareness was simple: does your community know what you do?

Does your neighbor know the roles you carry?

Does your family and extended family members know the strides you make behind the counter?

Does your friend at the PTA meetings or the local shop owner you frequent know what a pharmacist has to learn and manage on the job?

Media has never done us justice in portraying that.

Word of mouth will though, and it’s time to spread the message more consistently.

Community, though, is the keyword. Community is huge.

Community is our peers, our colleagues, our friends.?

Let them know.