The mission of the Pharmacy and Drug Information (PDI) Caucus is to further the precise, accurate dissemination of information on prescription and nonprescription drugs to both clinical professionals and the lay population. Part of this mission is supporting members in a diverse and inclusive environment where all can thrive. Diversity and inclusion bring multiple voices to the table, which results in a richer and more impactful organization for all. This is why we must condemn racism in all its forms and must do our part to break the walls of systemic oppression that have taken the lives of many including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, and others. Racism manifests in many ways from microaggressions to apathy to violence. One public way racism is obvious is the use of excessive force by the police on the Black community. The American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, and the American Psychiatric Association have all identified racism and excessive use of police-initiated force as a contributor to health disparities and adverse health outcomes to the communities our members serve.
PDI reaffirms the statements made by fellow caucuses in MLA. The walls of oppression are thick and have existed for hundreds of years and will take many actions from members of non-marginalized groups, large and small, to break.
To the members of the Black community in this caucus, we stand with you and are ready to support you in any way we can. To the Latinx, Native, and other communities of color, we acknowledge that you, too, have experienced discrimination and oppression and stand with you as well. To the members of our community who are members of non-marginalized groups, we ask you to stand with us to take action to break the cycle of racism and oppression through educating ourselves on the history of oppression in the United States, engaging in conversations within our own communities around race and its effects on health disparities, and recognizing the impact of our own actions, large and small, to continue the cycle of discrimination that has existed in our nation since its founding. The word ally at its very core is a verb more than a noun, so to be allies, we must do the work even though the road is bumpy and difficult at times. The author James Baldwin once said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” We must all do our part to make the traumas and tragedies of today that people of color face all but a distant memory.
Sincerely,
Your Pharmacy and Drug Information Caucus Leaders
Charlotte Beyer, AHIP, Chair
Toni Yancey, Chair-Elect
Lin Wu, AHIP, Past Chair
