Colchester, VT - June 8, 2016 - Students and faculty from the Colchester campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – Vermont’s only college of pharmacy – joined Governor Peter Shumlin today at Community Health Center in Burlington when he signed opioid abuse bill S.243 into law.
“The future for pharmacists in Vermont is exciting because legislation such as S.243 will allow us to have an expanded role in the care and treatment of our patients,” said ACPHS Doctor of Pharmacy student Marci Wood.
Wood and other ACPHS students initiated research and collaborated with the Vermont Pharmacists Association to find a sponsor for the bill. In addition, they attended legislative sessions and spoke about the expanding role of pharmacists in optimizing drug therapy and providing health care.
“Pharmacists are an untapped resource in the opioid epidemic,” said Robert Hamilton, Pharm.D., Interim Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “As medication experts, pharmacists can play a key role in combating this national problem by educating patients, families, and in some cases, prescribers, on how these drugs work and the potential risks for addiction. The passage of S.243 represents a major step forward for both pharmacists and patients, and we applaud Vermont legislators for their foresight on this issue.”
Earlier this year, Dr. Hamilton provided testimony in support of the bill which includes language about the expanding role of pharmacies and pharmacists, and the providing of patient care services within the pharmacist’s authorized scope of practice.
About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution with a long tradition of academic and research excellence. Ranked #1 value-added college in the country, ACPHS is committed to educating the next generation of leaders in the health care professions and translating scientific discoveries into therapies that benefit humankind. The College opened its Colchester Campus in 2009; it remains the only Doctor of Pharmacy program in the state of Vermont. The school’s main campus is located in Albany, New York.