Pharmacy Students Take Funding Effort To Annapolis

Nearly 200 students and faculty from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy descended on Annapolis on Valentine’s Day with the aim of winning the votes, if not the hearts, of state legislators.

By Jeffrey Raymond
February 29, 2008

In four buses, nearly 200 students and faculty from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy descended on Maryland’s capital on Valentine’s Day with the aim of winning the votes, if not the hearts, of state senators and delegates.

The major message of the School was simple: Keep the funding for the Pharmacy Hall addition alive.

Gov. Martin O’Malley has set aside $62.2 million in his capital budget to build the seven-story addition next to the north wall of Pharmacy Hall. School administrators-who have tried to reconcile the state’s growing demand for new pharmacists against the limitations of their existing facilities-have pressed state leaders for more than 10 years to fund the addition. Although they have had some success in getting planning money, O’Malley’s budget item is considered something of a coup. Now the mission has turned to keeping the General Assembly on board until it votes on the budget prior to the session’s conclusion in April.

Other bills before the legislature drew the focus of the Pharmacy Legislative Day efforts. Specifically, students were encouraged to advocate for a set of bills meant to regulate the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry in Maryland. PBMs are companies that administer drug benefit programs for employers and health insurance carriers. “If we do nothing else, we’ve got to regulate pharmacy benefit managers,” said Del. Donald Elliott, R-Carroll and Frederick, himself a pharmacist. “That’s your premier bill.”

After a brief motivational speech by Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, in which she urged the students to stress with lawmakers the importance of preserving the Pharmacy Hall addition money, the students split into small teams and went to work. When second-year pharmacy student Amy Houtchens sat across from Sen. George Edwards, R-Allegany and Garrett, she scarcely had to mention the construction funding.

“Let’s just say the likelihood is good that you’ll get it, or at least get most of it so you can get started,” said Edwards. He told her that although the General Assembly had yet to take up the capital budget, the funding for the project was virtually assured.

Then he quizzed Houtchens about how pharmacists are able to read hand-scrawled prescription orders. “I think it’s really important to follow up, say I need some clarification,” she replied. Just as Houtchens was pleased with Edwards’ assurances, he seemed satisfied with hers.