Third-year pharmacy student Karlton Cherry shared the followed reflection on his LinkedIn page. It is reprinted here with his permission. NACDS is the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.
Ensuring that high-quality healthcare is accessible has always been a passion of mine.
I was recently selected by the NEOMED College of Pharmacy to participate in NACDS RxIMPACT Day and RxIMPACTU, in Washington, D.C. where pharmacists and student pharmacists from across the country met with congressional offices to discuss legislation shaping the future of healthcare delivery. These conversations centered on advancing the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act, a policy focused on ensuring Medicare patients have access to pharmacist-provided services for common viral and bacterial illnesses.
We also discussed the continued importance of Pharmacy Benefit Manager reform to improve transparency and fairness for patients, as well as the need to keep community pharmacies involved as direct-to-consumer prescription savings programs evolve. Pharmacist oversight remains essential to ensuring medication safety, appropriate therapy and continuity of care for patients.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent Northeast Ohio Medical University and to learn from some very smart and inspiring leaders and advocates who are driving meaningful change in healthcare policy. I also appreciate the leadership and advocacy of the Walmart and Sam’s Club Health & Wellness teams, whose work continues to support pharmacists and expand access to care in communities across the country.
Advocacy, policy and patient care all intersect in moments like these. Proud to be part of a profession committed to advancing healthcare access, medication safety, and better outcomes for patients.
I’m extremely grateful for everyone who offered career advice and guidance throughout this experience and I especially want to recognize the incredible leadership behind this effort, including Chris Krese, Bill Tighe, Kevin Nicholson, Emily Dowsett, Stephanie Katz, Esq., M.P.H., and Jermaine Smith Their dedication to advancing pharmacy policy and strengthening advocacy efforts makes experiences like RxIMPACT possible and truly impactful for students like myself.
