Published on January 28, 2020 by Sarah Waller  
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Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy hosted its annual Advocacy Event, Jan. 24, assembling a panel of professionals who represent the education, practice and regulatory voices of the pharmacy profession in Alabama.

The discussion focused on how these three entities can work together to advocate for improved patient outcomes through the expansion of pharmacy’s scope of practice. With more than 90% of the U.S. population living within two miles of a pharmacy, the profession plays an integral role in one-on-one patient care.

"We want our students to be leaders in the profession and advocate for patients; doing whatever we can to take the profession of pharmacy to the next level so patients receive cost-effective therapy and have good access to care in this state," said Michael Crouch, dean of McWhorter School of Pharmacy.

The panel included:

  • Michael Crouch, dean of Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy
  • Richard Hansen, dean of Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy
  • Donna Yeatman, executive secretary of the Alabama Board of Pharmacy
  • Tommy Cobb, president of the Alabama Society of Health-System Pharmacists
  • Christy Garmon, vice president of the Alabama Pharmacy Association
  • Dorinda Cale, director of pharmacy at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama

The individuals who comprised the advocacy panel

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.