The Student Pharmacist Policy Podcast

Season 2 Episode 3: The Harm Reduction Movement

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 700,000 drug overdoses in the United States since 2000 are escalating 1 million, with as high as 50% of people aged 12 or older reported to have used illicit drugs at least once. It is no new fact that Prolonged illicit drug use has been found to alter brain function and  lead to harmful and destructive behaviors. The longer an addicted individual waits to seek treatment for their substance misuse, the more difficult it may be for them to recover from an addiction. The impact on illicit drug use is far reaching. Not only does it affect the ability for addicted individuals to live a healthy full life, it also affects those in their circles, including family members,neighbors and friends. Here is where the role of the Pharmacist comes in, by implementing and strategizing innovative resolutions, and collaborating interprofessionally with other Healthcare Professionals on the team, namely through the education and practice of Harm Reduction Offices of Addiction Services and Supports https://oasas.ny.gov/ Hosted, Directed and Produced by Nancy Yousry Script Written By Nancy Yousry Guest Speakers: Dr.Noor Khawaja and Dr.Lauren Mercovich Filming Date: April 26, 2023

Season 2 Episode 1: Dr. Jennifer Bhuiyan and Project Renewal

The homeless can be considered to be one of the most vulnerable populations in our society for they deal greatly with a multitude of issues including career and housing instability, mental health and substance use disorders, and most importantly, prejudice and stigma. According to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, it has been reported that those who are homeless have higher rates of both physical and mental illness, most of which stems from the fact that they live without the proper necessities that we typically live with on a daily basis. We invite Dr. Jennifer Bhuiyan, a Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist at Project Renewal to discuss homelessness as a public health crisis, and how we can work together as rising healthcare professionals to advocate for the policies that can better serve this population moving forward. Words Matter - Terms to Use and Avoid When Talking About Addiction https://nida.nih.gov/nidamed-medical-health-professionals/health-professions-education/words-matter-terms-to-use-avoid-when-talking-about-addiction National Harm Reduction Coalition https://harmreduction.org Hosted, Directed and Produced by Nancy Yousry Cohosted By Sarah Adly

Ep.4 Real Talk: Dr. Elsen Jacob - NYS Provider Status and The Pharmacist Coalition (CAP)

Provider Status refers to the federal recognition of healthcare professionals listed under section 1861 (s)(2) of the Social Security act and allows eligible services to be covered under Medicare Law. Unfortunately, pharmacists have yet to attain this recognition despite their reputation as medication experts and essential members of the healthcare team. The fight for Pharmacist Provider Status and expansion of pharmacists’ scope of practice has been ongoing for decades by various organizations, groups, and individual advocates and it has only become stronger thanks to the onset of new authorizations and responsibilities for pharmacists amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We invite Dr. Elsen Jacob, founder and president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice (CAP), as we learn more about Pharmacist Provider Status and what we can do to help advocate for it. Be sure to follow CAP on instagram @pharmacistcoalition!  Hosted by Courtney Tse, Jeremy Mesias  Produced by Courtney Tse, Jeremy Mesias

Ep 3 Real Talk: Dr. Nimit Jindal - Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow and Advocacy 2021

From his time working as a cashier in his father’s pharmacy to present day, Nimit Jindal has always held a large interest in community patient care and quality access to healthcare services. It is for these reasons he is heavily engaged in policy development and advocacy. He has an extensive history in both leadership and policy including being the former APhA-ASP National President, former Piscataway Township Ward 4 Elected Committeeman, and current Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow. We will be learning more about his journey from student pharmacist to current policy fellow and his insight on how we can become better advocates in 2021. Hosted by Courtney Tse, Anjali Rana Produced by Courtney Tse, Anjali Rana, Raechel Tan

Ep. 2 Real Talk: Dr. Adrienne Simmons - Policy Manager, Instagram, Viral Hepatitis Elimination

Adrienne Simmons is a forefront pharmacist and advocate on a multitude of healthcare issues including, but not limited to, harm reduction, mental health, health equity, and viral hepatitis elimination. She has an extensive history in advocacy on both the state and federal level and has held multiple policy leadership positions in pharmacy organizations such as APhA and ASHP. Her current advocacy work is not limited to her current position as policy manager at the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) but also through her social media instagram, @DoseofAdvocacy. We will be learning more about her journey from student pharmacist to current policy manager at NVHR, her reasoning for why she believes advocacy and policy is important, and her take on important issues such as Viral Hepatitis Elimination.  Hosted by Courtney Tse and Sarah Adly  Produced by Courtney Tse, Sarah Adly, Sen Guan