ASHP and 13 other pharmacy organizations are calling on the White House to ensure pharmacy professionals — as medication use experts working with diverse populations across our country — are represented in the administration’s newly appointed COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.
The request reiterates ASHP’s nomination of Vivian Bradley Johnson, Pharm.D., M.B.A., FASHP, senior vice president of clinical services for Parkland Health and Hospital System, and also recommends Lakesha Butler, Pharm.D., BCPS, immediate past president of the National Pharmaceutical Association, be appointed to the task force.
Dr. Bradley Johnson, a clinical pharmacist by training, oversees 1,500 employees engaged in the fight against COVID-19 and is a leader in engaging communities of color around COVID-19 vaccination and testing. Dr. Butler is a leading expert in pharmacy practice and has been instrumental in identifying and implementing effective strategies for pharmacists to combat systemic racism and health inequity.
“Pharmacists are playing a foundational role in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, and are often the most accessible healthcare providers in underserved communities,” said Tom Kraus, vice president of government relations at ASHP. “It is essential that the president’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force include the perspectives of highly qualified pharmacists like Drs. Vivian Bradley Johnson and Lakesha Butler. ASHP is proud to support their nominations.”
