APhA members representing 31 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia gathered last week to flex their political muscles at the organization’s first virtual congressional conference. Over the course of the 3-day conference, participants got a crash course on crucial pharmacy practice legislation, worked with colleagues on advocacy strategy, and met with Members of Congress and their staff.

September 9, 2021, was a busy day for the federal government and pharmacy stakeholders alike: Just a few hours apart, we saw significant developments in pharmacists’ COVID-19 pandemic practice authorities and prescription drug pricing. Both items yielded positive news for pharmacists and their patients.

At the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals last week, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) and North Dakota delivered oral arguments in litigation over state laws regulating some PBM practices. The proceedings were the latest step in PCMA v Wehbi’s winding path through the courts. The circuit court once sided with the PBM lobbying group, but the U.S. Supreme Court vacated that ruling after it unanimously decided to uphold an Arkansas PBM-regulation law.

Native Delawarean Kathleen McGuiness, RPh, went from owner of a small independent pharmacy in the city of Rehoboth Beach, DE, to Delaware State Auditor—a natural progression, in McGuiness’ words.

Bad, broken systems thrive on apathy and inaction. As recent events both inside and outside pharmacy have taught us, it’s on each of us to call out what’s wrong, break patterns of dysfunction, and fix the problem.