Dear Colleague,

The Pharmacy Advocacy Task Force (PATF) efforts toward expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice for opioid antagonists (naloxone), hormonal contraception, travel medicines and tobacco cessation products are actively underway.  The Task Force and our lobbyist, Buck Humphrey, have been working diligently the past several months prior to the 2018 legislative session to firm up our strategy, meet with stakeholders and garner legislative support for PATF initiatives. The Task Force is also supporting efforts to recognize pharmacists as mental health providers and efforts to allow pharmacists to administer medication.

As Co-Chairs of the MPhA Public Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Pharmacy Advocacy Task Force, respectively, we are requesting your support through a monetary contribution to the MPhA Pharmacy Advocacy Fund. As we have said during our updates at MPhA meetings and Town Hall events, the MPhA Board of Directors has voted to fund a lobbyist year round to work on the Pharmacy Advocacy Task Force’s agenda for 2017-2018 in conjunction with the other organizations who are task force members. The funding for the lobbying activity will be raised through donations to the Pharmacy Advocacy Fund.

Based on our previous experience and looking ahead to the future, we believe it will be key for the Task Force to continue to enlist the services of a professional lobbyist to coordinate its professional legislative efforts. As an organization we are unable to provide this service through membership dues and are asking for your help in ensuring our annual goal of $19,000 is achieved by contributing to the Pharmacy Advocacy Fund. Your generosity thus far has allowed us to be active through 2017 and we appreciate it! Now we need to turn our attention to meeting our 2018 target of $19,000.

Examples of previously successful MPhA legislative efforts include broader immunization and collaborative practice authority for pharmacists, expanded technician ratios, and legislation on PBM audits and MAC pricing transparency and biosimilar substitution. MPhA is also continuing its efforts on pharmacy reimbursement issues on a variety of fronts.
As fellow members of MPhA, I know you also have a vested interest in the health of our Minnesota communities and all that pharmacists can do to add to the health of our communities. Although advocacy work has always been important to us, we do not have the resources in our operating budget and we must raise these additional funds to devote specifically to these contracted advocacy efforts. We pledge that funds raised through this campaign will be specifically allocated to our legislative and advocacy efforts.

Donate Now

We welcome contributions from small and large businesses as well as individuals. Individuals, please give what you can. Businesses, please consider making a $1,000 per pharmacycontribution to aid in this important work. Your support of the Pharmacy Advocacy Fund will ensure MPhA maintains a strong voice on important pharmacy practice, business and professional issues in Minnesota's legislative and regulatory arenas that guarantee we can provide optimal services to our patients. Thank you in advance for your contributions. We look forward to great accomplishments!

Highest respects on behalf of the MPhA Board of Directors and Leadership Team.