A pharmacy political advocacy elective course

Abstract

Objective. To develop and implement an elective course to increase pharmacy students' awareness of legislation that might affect the pharmacy profession and to promote advocacy for the profession. Design. Students participated in class discussions regarding current legislative issues and methods to advocate for the pharmacy profession. Assignments included a student-led presentation of the advocacy agendas for various pharmacy organizations, a take-home examination, participation in class debates, and a legislative presentation. Assessment. Forty-eight students enrolled in the elective course over 3 years. Assignments and class participation were assessed using grading rubrics. At the end of the semester, students completed a questionnaire to assess the overall benefit of the course. Conclusions. Participation in an elective course devoted to pharmacy political advocacy increased awareness of legislation and the desire to become involved in pharmacy organizations to promote the pharmacy profession.