As neighboring state Connecticut strives to pass legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control, the issues of access and bodily autonomy in this country remain in the forefront.
Pharmacists continue to be an underutilized resource in critical areas, such as birth control and family planning. Unfortunately, New York State still lags behind the 20 or so states that allow pharmacists to prescribe medications. If New York were to pass such legislation, pharmacists would obtain specialized training and remove one of the major barriers to access, allowing patients to more quickly receive needed medications. It would also provide critical resources given a primary care physician shortage, especially in rural areas.
Experts at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences can share insight into the importance of pharmacists receiving prescribing rights and the public health effect of these decisions. Both experts listed below are also part of The Collaboratory, an ACPHS public health practice site in downtown Albany. The Collaboratory is designed to develop and offer programs addressing social justice and social determinants of health, with the shared goal of improving population health.
Available ACPHS experts on this issue include:
- Wendy Parker, PhD is a medical sociologist whose work spans the fields of health and health care, family, public and social policy. Parker serves as program director and faculty for our BS Program in Public Health and as the Collaboratory Director, where she works to help improve access to health and health care for underserved communities.
- Jacquelyn Dwyer ’13, PharmD, public health pharmacist providing services to support families in Albany’s South End. Prior to returning to the ACPHS Collaboratory, she worked for 10 years for CVS as a staff pharmacist.
Contact: Kristin Marshall, 518-694-7373