One of the most significant lessons I have learned as a student pharmacist is the relationship between state and federal policies and their effect on our patients. States determine our scope of practice, while federal policy determines whether those services can be reimbursed for our Medicare patients, creating a disconnect that affects patient care in very real ways.

This is especially true in El Paso, a medically underserved region surrounded by rural communities. Federal legislation like the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS, HR 3164/S 2426) has the potential to significantly improve access to care for our community in combination with state-level reform. ECAPS would allow pharmacists to be reimbursed for test-to-treat services under Medicare Part B, but state reform is also needed to allow pharmacists to perform these services in Texas.

Recognizing the impact of this legislation motivated me to reach out to Congresswoman Veronica Escobar’s (D-El Paso) district office to begin a conversation about how federal policy shapes the services patients in our community can receive.

Overcoming Geographic Barriers

That motivation was strengthened by another challenge we face as a region and a school. When students participate in Texas Pharmacy Day at the Capitol, the distance between El Paso and Austin poses a significant barrier, and travelling to Washington, DC, poses an even bigger challenge. The travel is costly, time consuming, and not feasible for many students.

I wanted to show that advocacy does not have to be limited to meetings at the Capitol. There are meaningful opportunities for advocacy right here within our own communities, and we can invite our policymakers into the spaces where our patients actually receive care.

Developing Relationships

To begin that process, I first submitted a meeting request through the contact form on the Congresswoman’s website and followed up with a phone call to her local office two weeks later. I stated that I was a constituent and referenced ECAPS when requesting the meeting, but emphasized that our focus was on addressing patient access.

I invited the district staff to visit a local pharmacy so they could observe these issues in real time, but due to scheduling conflicts our first meeting took place in the district office in El Paso. We discussed the connection between scope of practice and federal reimbursement, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform, and how federal legislation plays a significant role in sustaining access to care in Texas.

At the end of that meeting, I re-invited the district staff to visit a local pharmacy to tie our conversations back to patient care. They agreed, and with TPA’s support I connected with Walgreens and scheduled the tour. Observing real workflow, staffing demands, and patient interactions offered the district representatives a clearer picture on why these policies are essential for advancing patient care.

By the end of the tour, the district representatives expressed interest in visiting The University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy to continue learning from students about our priorities. It was encouraging to see how quickly a local relationship could develop once the office understood the needs of our patients and the importance of the student voice.

As student pharmacists, we represent the next generation of the profession, and the decisions being made today will shape the health care system in which we practice for the rest of our careers. Our representatives want to hear from us for that exact reason: we represent the future of the workforce.

Take Small Steps and Get Involved

For students who feel unsure about getting involved, I encourage you to begin with a small step. The most important thing you can do is stay informed about the issues shaping our profession and take time to understand how the policy process works. From there, everything else feels much more approachable.

Advocacy does not require you to be an expert, it only requires passion and a willingness to learn. When we take advantage of the constituent connection and bring advocacy into our own communities, we help shape policy that directly impacts our patients and strengthens the future of pharmacy in Texas.