UB PharmD students travel to Albany for Pharmacy Lobby Day

Pharmacy Lobby Day in Albany is an annual event that gives PharmD students and pharmacy professionals the opportunity to meet directly with their assembly members and legislators. They discuss issues affecting pharmacists and educate lawmakers on how pharmacy legislation will help ensure the best care for New York State residents.

Our Student Pharmacists' Association of Western New York (SPAWNY) and our student chapter of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York (SPSSNY) organized this year’s event, and 5 UB PharmD students made the trip to Albany.

“Pharmacy Lobby Day is a critical event that highlights the importance of advocacy in shaping healthcare policy and protecting both pharmacists and patients,” says Mohamad Ghazi, PharmD ’27, SPAWNY president. “By engaging with legislators, we aimed to promote legislative initiatives that ensure fair reimbursement practices, support the role of pharmacy technicians, reform regulatory processes, and expand patient access to care through point-of-care testing. Our goal through this advocacy is to drive meaningful changes that lead to better patient outcomes and a stronger pharmacy profession.”

Meetings occurred with Senators Robert Ortt, Joseph Griffo, Patrick Gallivan and George Borrello along with Assembly Members Brian Manktelow and Phil Steck, to advocate for the following legislation:

• Reimbursement Floor in Commercial Space: The Reimbursement Floor in Commercial Space establishes a minimum reimbursement rate for healthcare services provided by out-of-network providers in commercial health insurance, aiming to support fair compensation for providers.
• Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) Reform: The OMIG Reform seeks to improve transparency and fairness in OMIG audits, ensuring that Medicaid providers are protected from excessive or arbitrary enforcement.
• Pharmacy Technician Reform: The Pharmacy Technician Reform expands the role of pharmacy technicians, allowing them to perform more tasks under a pharmacist’s supervision, addressing workforce shortages and improving efficiency in pharmacies.
• Test and Treat: Test and Treat authorizes pharmacists to provide testing and initiate treatment for common illnesses, increasing accessibility to healthcare and reducing the burden on doctors for routine care.
• Expanded Point of Care Testing: Point of Care Testing authorizes pharmacists to test patients for COVID-19, influenza and strep throat and would enable pharmacists to enact treatment following guidelines from the state's health department.