PLAID Day facilitates conversations between students and legislators

This year’s event welcomed in-person attendees Assemblymember Paul A. Bologna and Jim Arnone, chief of staff for Assemblymember Karen McMahon, with Assemblymembers Jen Lunsford and Al Stirpe joining virtually.

Additional participants included Steve Giroux, BS ’81, Kara Wilcox, PharmD, MBA, and Karl Williams, JD, MBA, BS ’80, SPPS director of legislative advocacy and SPAWNY faculty advisor, who coordinated the event and organized the talking points. Nearly 140 students attended and engaged in conversations on a variety of health care topics.

Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to pay a participating pharmacy at minimum at the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) rate, or at the pharmacy acquisition cost rate if greater or there is not a NADAC rate, plus a professional dispensing fee that is at minimum the professional dispensing fee paid under the state medical assistance program.

Current law permits pharmacists to serve as limited services lab directors to order and administer influenza and COVID-19 tests. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived testing would authorize pharmacists to perform a broader range of clinical lab tests beyond influenza and COVID-19 to expedite health assessments, diagnoses and treatment.

Treating Simple Infections After Testing authorizes pharmacists to initiate treatment for COVID-19, influenza and pharyngitis caused by Group A streptococcal infection in certain circumstances.

“PLAID Day is an annual event led by SPAWNY that demonstrates the significance and importance of pharmacy advocacy for our career,” said Carol Botros, PharmD ’28, SPAWNY vice president. “It pieces together the role of working alongside legislators as a pharmacist to effectively communicate the need for change. The event was a great opportunity to gain different perspectives on the process of passing a bill and the work required to do so. I hope my fellow colleagues and I can apply both our clinical knowledge and passion for patient care to further advance the profession of pharmacy through advocacy.”