Blankenship completes Board of Pharmacy experience, expanding college regulatory expertise
After two impactful years as The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy’s practice advancement and advocacy fellow, Bella Blankenship, PharmD, MPAL, RPh, is moving into an adjunct faculty role—and ready to further her impact on the college.
“One of the things that inspires me about Dr. Blankenship is the steps she takes to go above and beyond to ensure that a trainee’s experience is positive,” said Michael Murphy, PharmD, MBA, clinical assistant professor and advocacy fellowship co-director. “She is an amazing advocate for her students, patients and profession. If she identifies that there is an opportunity to better serve one of those groups, she is actively advocating to make that change a reality.”
"Dr. Blankenship has given our students a direct look at an advocacy pathway,” said Michael Murphy, PharmD, MBA, clinical assistant professor and advocacy fellowship co-director. “When she joined the college, she already had a deep understanding of the connection between policy and pharmacy. Throughout her fellowship, she found ways to deepen that understanding.”
One of those ways began in her second year of fellowship, when Dr. Blankenship selected the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy as her practice site. The Board of Pharmacy oversees licensure and regulation. When the state government passes a bill affecting pharmacy, the board translates that legislation into practical, actionable language for implementation.
“If pharmacists aren’t advocating for ourselves and our patients, there is likely another entity speaking for us in decision-making spaces. Advocacy is a necessity to improve and sustain our profession.”
Dr. Blankenship helped draft the language for several key regulations in Ohio, from pharmacist-administered immunizations to remote dispensing pharmacies. These regulations landed on her desk after they passed through the necessary hoops and approval in the statehouse.
“It’s been eye-opening to see how the legislative and regulatory processes are intertwined,” Dr. Blankenship noted. “Even after passing through the senate, we have a lot of steps to ensure that bills meet the needs of practitioners and patients.”
Just as bills undergo committee review and amendments in the Statehouse, regulations written by Dr. Blankenship and her team are similarly refined through feedback from the full Board of Pharmacy and public commentary.
“Most of the rules that I’ve worked on have to do with outpatient pharmacy,” she said. “I’ve drawn a lot on my five years of experience in community pharmacy to ensure that my proposed language keeps practitioners in mind. When my rules are reviewed with the board, members with a variety of backgrounds will contribute their own thoughts as well.”
This summer, Dr. Blankenship tackled the regulation of remote dispensing pharmacies, a new type of pharmacy in Ohio.
“Remote dispensing pharmacies are a unique solution intended to address pharmacy deserts prevalent throughout Ohio,” Dr. Blankenship explained. “While it’s an exciting solution, there is so much we needed to figure out as the board. Public commentary proved to be invaluable in perfecting this bill.”
The regulation's final form reflects a collaborative effort, one that underscores Dr. Blankenship's commitment to transparent and engaging practice advancement and the importance of an informed regulatory body.
“Regulatory processes often feel like a ‘black box’ to students, yet they play a critical role in shaping how pharmacy is practiced,” Dr. Murphy said. “Having Dr. Blankenship as a resource provides students with direct access to someone who can demystify these processes and show how regulations are created, interpreted and enforced.”
Prior to joining the College of Pharmacy, Dr. Blankenship worked in Washington D.C. as a pharmacy practice and government affairs resident at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). In this role, she regularly met with legislators and offered education and advocacy on behalf of the pharmacy profession.
“In past positions, I’ve had so much experience educating legislators and moving pharmacy issues forward, but I’d never gotten my hands on the legislation itself,” Dr. Blankenship explained. “I wanted experience within a government agency that ensures pharmacy is effectively regulated.”
While her fellowship and time with the Board of Pharmacy came to an end this August, Dr. Blankenship is proud to have left a real impact at the college and on the state of pharmacy in Ohio. She stepped in to advise the College of Pharmacy’s Advocacy Collaborative and lead training events like the Student Advocacy Bootcamp.
“If pharmacists aren’t advocating for ourselves and our patients, there is likely another entity speaking for us in decision-making spaces,” Dr. Blankenship emphasized. “Advocacy is a necessity to improve and sustain our profession.”
In her new adjunct role, Dr. Blankenship will engage with students early in their own advocacy journeys and show them all the ways that they can get involved and carve out the future of the field. Her firsthand experience navigating the legislative process has made her a trusted mentor to students exploring the intersection of pharmacy and policy.
“Ohio State has been such a unique place to dive deep with my learning and seek unique opportunities like working with the Board of Pharmacy,” she reflected. “We’re one of the only schools in the country to have a practice advancement and advocacy fellow. Now that I have this rare learning experience under my belt, I can offer a new dimension of learning to our students moving forward.”