Advocacy is a core professional responsibility for every pharmacist. Whether championing the needs of an individual patient, advancing the pharmacy profession through legislative action, or promoting public health, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to be influential leaders. This quiz, designed for PharmD students, will test your knowledge on the principles and practices of effective advocacy, from communicating with policymakers to advocating for patient care within the healthcare system.
1. Which of the following is the best example of a pharmacist acting as a patient advocate?
- Refusing to fill a prescription because it is from a competing pharmacy.
- Calling a prescriber to recommend a more affordable, therapeutically appropriate alternative for a patient who cannot afford their medication.
- Only counseling on the side effects listed on the manufacturer’s website.
- Enrolling every patient in the pharmacy’s rewards program.
Answer: Calling a prescriber to recommend a more affordable, therapeutically appropriate alternative for a patient who cannot afford their medication.
2. A key aspect of political advocacy for the pharmacy profession is:
- Donating to a specific political party.
- Educating legislators about the value pharmacists bring to the healthcare system.
- Only voting in presidential elections.
- Protesting outside the state capitol.
Answer: Educating legislators about the value pharmacists bring to the healthcare system.
3. When preparing to meet with a legislator, the most effective strategy is to:
- Arrive without an appointment and hope to be seen.
- Be prepared with a clear, concise message and a specific “ask” related to a piece of legislation.
- Discuss a wide variety of unrelated political issues.
- Bring a large group of people to the meeting without prior notice.
Answer: Be prepared with a clear, concise message and a specific “ask” related to a piece of legislation.
4. Leadership within the pharmacy profession is considered a professional obligation because:
- It is the only way to earn a high salary.
- Leaders are necessary to advocate for and guide the changes needed to advance patient care and the profession.
- It is a requirement for state licensure.
- It guarantees a promotion to a management position.
Answer: Leaders are necessary to advocate for and guide the changes needed to advance patient care and the profession.
5. An assignment that requires a student to identify the political figures in their specific district is designed to:
- Help the student decide who to vote for.
- Encourage the student to run for office.
- Build foundational knowledge for effective, grassroots political advocacy.
- Fulfill a government census requirement.
Answer: Build foundational knowledge for effective, grassroots political advocacy.
6. The concept of pharmacists achieving “provider status” is a major advocacy issue primarily aimed at:
- Allowing pharmacists to diagnose medical conditions.
- Enabling pharmacists to bill for clinical services, particularly under Medicare Part B, which expands patient access to their care.
- Permitting pharmacists to own their own pharmacies.
- Shortening the length of pharmacy school.
Answer: Enabling pharmacists to bill for clinical services, particularly under Medicare Part B, which expands patient access to their care.
7. A pharmacist notices a systemic issue where prior authorizations for a life-saving medication are frequently and inappropriately denied by an insurer. Advocating in this situation would involve:
- Telling each patient the problem is their fault.
- Contacting the insurance company with documented evidence to advocate for a change in their policy.
- Switching all patients to a different, less effective medication.
- Ignoring the problem.
Answer: Contacting the insurance company with documented evidence to advocate for a change in their policy.
8. Which of the following is an example of professional advocacy?
- Sharing confidential patient information on social media.
- Criticizing a colleague’s work in front of patients.
- Creating a compelling vision for a new clinical service and presenting a business plan to management.
- Refusing to participate in any professional organizations.
Answer: Creating a compelling vision for a new clinical service and presenting a business plan to management.
9. The most effective way to communicate with a legislator via email is to:
- Write a very long, emotional letter covering your entire life story.
- Use a generic form letter found online without personalization.
- Be brief, professional, identify yourself as a constituent and pharmacist, and clearly state your position on a specific bill or issue.
- Send the same email to them every day for a month.
Answer: Be brief, professional, identify yourself as a constituent and pharmacist, and clearly state your position on a specific bill or issue.
10. When a pharmacist advocates for a patient by addressing their social determinants of health, such as lack of transportation, they are:
- Acting outside their scope of practice.
- Engaging in a holistic, patient-centered approach to care.
- Wasting their time on non-medical issues.
- Violating the patient’s privacy.
Answer: Engaging in a holistic, patient-centered approach to care.
11. Professional pharmacy organizations (like APhA, ASHP, etc.) play a crucial role in advocacy by:
- Providing a unified voice for the profession on state and federal issues.
- Setting the prices for prescription medications.
- Disciplining pharmacists for medication errors.
- Managing the day-to-day operations of member pharmacies.
Answer: Providing a unified voice for the profession on state and federal issues.
12. “Grassroots advocacy” refers to:
- Lobbying done only by paid professionals in Washington D.C.
- Mobilizing individual members of a group or community to contact their legislators about an issue.
- A type of farming technique.
- Advocating for better lawn care in public parks.
Answer: Mobilizing individual members of a group or community to contact their legislators about an issue.
13. A pharmacist is part of an interprofessional team. A key moment for patient advocacy is when:
- The pharmacist ensures the patient’s medication-related needs and concerns are heard and considered by the team.
- The pharmacist agrees with the physician without question.
- The pharmacist focuses only on the cost of the medications.
- The pharmacist remains silent during team meetings.
Answer: The pharmacist ensures the patient’s medication-related needs and concerns are heard and considered by the team.
14. An effective leader and advocate must first be able to:
- Articulate a clear and compelling vision for the future.
- Ensure their pharmacy is the most profitable in the city.
- Work longer hours than anyone else.
- Agree with the status quo.
Answer: Articulate a clear and compelling vision for the future.
15. A pharmacist is concerned about a new state regulation that could negatively impact patient safety. The most appropriate first step in advocacy would be to:
- Complain about the regulation on social media.
- Contact their state pharmacy association and their state representative to voice their concern with evidence.
- Tell all their patients to ignore the new regulation.
- Quit the pharmacy profession.
Answer: Contact their state pharmacy association and their state representative to voice their concern with evidence.
16. A pharmacist who identifies a “pharmacy desert” (an area with a lack of access to pharmacy services) and develops a plan for a new telepharmacy service is demonstrating:
- Leadership and innovation as a form of advocacy for public health.
- A violation of pharmacy law.
- A poor business decision.
- A lack of concern for patient care.
Answer: Leadership and innovation as a form of advocacy for public health.
17. What is the primary reason for a pharmacist to share a personal patient story (with consent and de-identified) when meeting with a legislator?
- To violate patient privacy.
- To make the meeting more emotional.
- To provide a real-world, humanizing example of how a specific policy or bill impacts constituents.
- To fill time because the pharmacist did not prepare other materials.
Answer: To provide a real-world, humanizing example of how a specific policy or bill impacts constituents.
18. Advocating for expanded scope of practice for pharmacists, such as prescribing for minor ailments, is primarily aimed at:
- Increasing pharmacists’ workload.
- Improving patient access to care and public health.
- Competing directly with physicians.
- Increasing the cost of healthcare.
Answer: Improving patient access to care and public health.
19. When a pharmacist advocates for a patient with low health literacy, they might:
- Use complex medical jargon to educate the patient.
- Provide only written materials for the patient to read on their own.
- Spend extra time explaining medications in simple terms and using the teach-back method.
- Decide the patient is unable to manage their own medications.
Answer: Spend extra time explaining medications in simple terms and using the teach-back method.
20. The “Leadership Interview Assignment” described in the syllabus is designed to help students:
- Learn about the personal leadership journeys and advocacy efforts of current pharmacy leaders.
- Get a job offer from the person they interview.
- Practice writing a resume.
- Fulfill a community service requirement.
Answer: Learn about the personal leadership journeys and advocacy efforts of current pharmacy leaders.
21. A pharmacist can be a powerful advocate for public health in their community by:
- Keeping the pharmacy doors locked.
- Promoting immunizations and providing health screenings.
- Only dispensing controlled substances.
- Refusing to answer any patient questions.
Answer: Promoting immunizations and providing health screenings.
22. An understanding of pharmacy law and regulations is crucial for advocacy because:
- It allows a pharmacist to find legal loopholes.
- It provides the foundational knowledge of what needs to be changed or protected to advance the profession.
- It is not relevant to advocacy.
- It guarantees that any proposed change will be successful.
Answer: It provides the foundational knowledge of what needs to be changed or protected to advance the profession.
23. The development of a pharmacist’s “personal mission statement” can be a tool to:
- Clarify one’s own values and guide their personal and professional advocacy efforts.
- Fulfill a requirement for a job application.
- Post on social media for likes.
- Avoid difficult conversations.
Answer: Clarify one’s own values and guide their personal and professional advocacy efforts.
24. When advocating for a non-formulary drug for a patient, the pharmacist’s communication with the insurance company should include:
- A demand for immediate approval.
- A strong clinical rationale and supporting evidence for why the patient needs that specific medication over the formulary options.
- A complaint about the high cost of the formulary drugs.
- The patient’s personal opinion of the insurance company.
Answer: A strong clinical rationale and supporting evidence for why the patient needs that specific medication over the formulary options.
25. A pharmacist who stays informed about current healthcare legislation and policy is better equipped to be an effective:
- Dispenser
- Advocate
- Technician
- Manager
Answer: Advocate
26. Which of the following is an attribute of an effective advocate?
- Being passive and quiet.
- Being knowledgeable, persistent, and a clear communicator.
- Being confrontational and disrespectful.
- Being uninformed about the issues.
Answer: Being knowledgeable, persistent, and a clear communicator.
27. The concept of “self-awareness” is important for an advocate because:
- It allows them to understand their own strengths, weaknesses, and biases, which can influence their advocacy style.
- It is a term used in accounting.
- It is not important for advocacy.
- It helps them to always win an argument.
Answer: It allows them to understand their own strengths, weaknesses, and biases, which can influence their advocacy style.
28. Why is it important for student pharmacists to get involved in advocacy early in their careers?
- To build skills and networks that will help them advance the profession throughout their careers.
- It is not important for students to be involved.
- To get extra credit in their classes.
- To miss class for legislative days.
Answer: To build skills and networks that will help them advance the profession throughout their careers.
29. The ultimate goal of professional advocacy in pharmacy is to:
- Increase the profits of drug manufacturers.
- Improve the health and well-being of patients and society.
- Make the pharmacy profession the most powerful in healthcare.
- Ensure pharmacists have the highest salaries.
Answer: Improve the health and well-being of patients and society.
30. Participating in a “Pharmacy Day at the Capitol” event is a form of:
- Patient counseling.
- Direct legislative advocacy.
- Compounding.
- Dispensing.
Answer: Direct legislative advocacy.
31. When a pharmacist reports a medication error through a safety program, they are advocating for:
- Punishing the person who made the error.
- Systemic changes to improve patient safety for all.
- A bonus for themselves.
- The pharmacy to be closed down.
Answer: Systemic changes to improve patient safety for all.
32. A pharmacist who takes the initiative to resolve a complex insurance rejection for a patient is demonstrating:
- Poor time management.
- Patient advocacy.
- A task that should be handled by a technician.
- A conflict of interest.
Answer: Patient advocacy.
33. Communicating the value of MTM services to payers is a form of advocacy that requires data on:
- The number of prescriptions dispensed daily.
- Improved clinical and economic outcomes.
- The square footage of the pharmacy.
- The number of technicians employed.
Answer: Improved clinical and economic outcomes.
34. A key challenge in advocacy is:
- The issues are always simple and easy to solve.
- Legislators always agree with pharmacists.
- Overcoming apathy and motivating people to take action.
- Advocacy requires no time or effort.
Answer: Overcoming apathy and motivating people to take action.
35. An effective advocate for the profession must be able to clearly articulate:
- Their personal political beliefs.
- The specific value and expertise that pharmacists contribute.
- A list of complaints about their job.
- The brand names of the top 200 drugs.
Answer: The specific value and expertise that pharmacists contribute.
36. Writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper about a public health issue is a form of:
- Patient advocacy.
- Professional advocacy.
- Public advocacy.
- All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
37. Before advocating for a change, it is critical to first:
- Complain loudly to your colleagues.
- Fully understand the problem and research the issue.
- Formulate a solution without identifying the problem.
- Secure funding for your campaign.
Answer: Fully understand the problem and research the issue.
38. Advocating for policies that address health disparities is an application of which ethical principle?
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Justice
Answer: Justice
39. A pharmacist’s professional network can be a powerful tool for advocacy because it:
- Allows for the rapid sharing of information and mobilization of support for an issue.
- Looks good on a resume.
- Guarantees a job anywhere.
- Is not useful for advocacy.
Answer: Allows for the rapid sharing of information and mobilization of support for an issue.
40. The most important person in any advocacy effort is:
- The paid lobbyist.
- The president of the professional organization.
- The constituent (the individual pharmacist, student, or patient).
- The legislator’s chief of staff.
Answer: The constituent (the individual pharmacist, student, or patient).
41. An “elevator pitch” in an advocacy context is:
- A long, detailed presentation with slides.
- A brief, compelling summary of your issue and your “ask” that can be delivered in a very short time.
- A conversation that can only happen in an elevator.
- A request for a ride to the top floor.
Answer: A brief, compelling summary of your issue and your “ask” that can be delivered in a very short time.
42. One of the main reasons for pharmacists to advocate for interprofessional collaboration is that it:
- Creates more distinct silos in healthcare.
- Leads to improved patient safety and health outcomes.
- Makes the pharmacist’s job easier by shifting responsibility.
- Is required by most insurance plans.
Answer: Leads to improved patient safety and health outcomes.
43. A pharmacist is explaining a new bill to their legislator. The most effective approach is to focus on:
- How the bill will increase pharmacy profits.
- How the bill will impact the health and safety of the legislator’s constituents.
- The complex legal language within the bill.
- The political party that sponsored the bill.
Answer: How the bill will impact the health and safety of the legislator’s constituents.
44. To be a credible advocate, a pharmacist must:
- Have all the answers all the time.
- Be honest, even when they don’t know the answer to a question, and promise to follow up.
- Exaggerate the facts to make a stronger point.
- Only discuss issues they agree with personally.
Answer: Be honest, even when they don’t know the answer to a question, and promise to follow up.
45. Which of the following is an example of an “ask” when meeting with a policymaker?
- “Thank you for your time.”
- “Pharmacy is a great profession.”
- “I would like to ask for your support of House Bill 123.”
- “What do you think about healthcare?”
Answer: “I would like to ask for your support of House Bill 123.”
46. A pharmacist helping a patient navigate a “difficult conversation” with a family member about their health is a form of:
- Patient advocacy.
- Interpersonal skill development.
- Promoting patient autonomy.
- All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
47. Why is building a relationship with your legislator before you need something important?
- It is not important.
- It establishes you as a trusted resource and makes them more likely to listen when you have a critical issue.
- It guarantees they will vote your way.
- It allows you to ask for personal favors.
Answer: It establishes you as a trusted resource and makes them more likely to listen when you have a critical issue.
48. Advocacy for the profession of pharmacy is the responsibility of:
- Only pharmacy managers and owners.
- Only the state and national professional associations.
- Only pharmacists who work in policy.
- Every pharmacist, student pharmacist, and technician.
Answer: Every pharmacist, student pharmacist, and technician.
49. When advocating to a hospital administrator for a new clinical pharmacy service, it is most important to present:
- A plan that focuses on how the service will improve patient outcomes and potentially reduce costs for the institution.
- A plan that will require a large budget with no clear return on investment.
- A complaint about the current workload.
- An argument based on what other hospitals are doing.
Answer: A plan that focuses on how the service will improve patient outcomes and potentially reduce costs for the institution.
50. The attribute of “leadership” is essential for advocacy because it involves:
- Following orders without question.
- Influencing others to work toward a common goal or vision.
- Maintaining the current state of affairs.
- Working in isolation.
Answer: Influencing others to work toward a common goal or vision.
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com