NYCSHP’s Grassroots Advocacy Committee was developed in Fall 2017 by NYCSHP Immediate Past President, Dr. Karen Berger, and NYSCHP Vice President of Public Policy, Dr. Andrew Kaplan. The committee was developed to support NYCSHP pharmacists, pharmacy residents, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in speaking on behalf of the profession to our Assemblymembers and State Senators about key legislation involving pharmacy in New York, with the hopes that our legislators would support our preferred pharmacy legislation through co-sponsorship.

Statistics
– There were 9 legislative visits in 2017
– There have been 20 legislative visits so far in 2018
– Grassroots visits have led to 10 new cosponsors on the technician registration bill and 1 chamber sponsor for our preferred CDTM optimization bill
– There are >50 members on the grassroots advocacy committee (comprised of students, residents and pharmacists)

As a member of the Grassroots Advocacy Committee, this can be you too! Below are our members and their respective Assemblymembers during their meetings.
Karen Berger, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, Yi Guo, PharmD, Jessica Snead, PharmD, and Andrew Kaplan, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP: Met with Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright (D – Assembly District 76)

Stacey Thomas, PharmD, Victoria Polla, PharmD, Greg Fear, PharmD, and Jamie Chin, MS, PharmD, BCOP: Met with Assemblymember Edward Ra (R – 19^th Assembly District)

Eileen Huang and George Rodriguez: Met with Assemblymember Melissa Miller (R – 20^th Assembly District)

Sulema Barron and Andrew Kaplan: Met with Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (D – 85th Assembly District)

Christine Lesch, PharmD, BCPS, Wendy Mata, Pharmacy Technician, and Mohak Dave, PharmD Candidate: Met with Assemblyman Al Taylor (D – 71st Assembly District)

Johnny Hon, PharmD, BCPS, and Andrew Kaplan, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP: Met with Chair of Health Committee, Assemblymember Richard Gottfried (D – 75th Assembly District)

Jamie Chin, MS, PharmD, BCOP: Met with Assemblymember Brian Curran (R – 21^st Assembly District)
Yi Guo, PharmD, Charrai Byrd, PharmD, Maabo Kludze, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, and Kevin Vu, PharmD: Met with Assemblymember Victor Pichardo (D – 86th Assembly District)

For more information about the Grassroots Advocacy Committee, please reach out to Jamie Chin: jamiehchin@gmail.com

We will provide you with resources, pair you up with a mentor, and provide the support for you to attend legislative visits!