A quick how-to on legislative advocacy

Because of the way that legislators’ aides log the number of communications sent in by constituents about any particular political issue, it’s important to include this information to ensure they know that you’re registered to vote in the district they represent.

Even those of us actively working at pharmacies and participating in legislative advocacy are being told by entities like our professional organizations and governmental departments that we should focus our complaints and communications on how issues we face affect patient access to safe and high-quality pharmacy care (i.e., the patient experience is their primary focus). Facts, data, and figures all help to make the case for your issue, but family and personal stories are also extremely powerful and are often remembered by legislators.

• Has your insurance or the PBM processing your prescription claims ever forced you to change pharmacies or switch medications?

• Has a delay in approving or denying a prior authorization (PA) on a non-covered medication prevented you from getting your medicine on time?

• Has your poor experience interacting with a chain or traditional PBM-owned or -operated mail order pharmacy impacted your health or overall quality of life?

• What does your pharmacy that faces closure—whether independent or chain—mean to you?

These are great details to include in your communications to legislators so that it becomes clear to them just how significant and wide-reaching issues in the pharmacy industry truly are, and why it’s so important that we address them through legislative reform.

Because of the way that legislators’ aides log the number of communications sent in by constituents about any particular political issue, this makes it more likely that they’ll deem the issue you’re reaching out about as something they should focus their efforts on.

If you can, try giving them a call, sending them an email (or filling out the contact form on their personal website), AND mailing them a letter. They can all say the same or similar things.

Also, use different wording to begin each communication so it’s not assumed that you’re contacting them about the same bill, even if the issue(s) addressed by the bills is related.

When sharing digital or printed materials with a legislator, try to keep it to a one-page, bulleted fact sheet that reinforces the key points on the issue. Lengthy materials are often not read!

Whether it’s support for a bill or asking a committee chair to hold a hearing or move a bill, be clear on the action you want taken. For example, for a number of the federal bills listed on our Federal Initiatives page, we’re looking for co-sponsorship from our state’s US Senators, Amy Klobuchar and/or Tina Smith, as well as whoever represents you in the US House of Representatives.

Don’t assume that state and federal lawmakers understand the local impact of every bill (especially regarding issues in the pharmacy industry, we know for a fact this is NOT usually the case). When contacting your state legislators and members of Congress, try to explain the local impact—both positive and negative—of state or federal legislation.

If you’re not feeling confident about your understanding of pharmacy-related issues, take a look at our Educational Resources page and social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, and YouTube. You’ll find multiple educational resources, including specific bills listed on our State Initiatives and Federal Initiatives pages with information about why each bill is important and what its impact would be if passed.

Just like it’s important to thank an interviewer after a job interview, advocates can never thank a legislator enough for supporting their cause, especially since they get pushed and pulled in so many directions. It’s essential to thank our legislators when they are supportive of an issue we care about by voting in favor of it, taking a public stance on it, or promoting the issue during a debate or speech. Alternatively, if a legislator is not supportive, a relationship can still be formed by providing education and resources on said issue, and asking why?, for example, they voted a particular way on a bill can help us better understand their motivators or what about the issue they might not yet understand (a significant problem when it comes to pharmacy-related issues).