Six student pharmacists from Wayne State University's Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences have joined the 2022 Up to Us Competition. Up to PharmD, the WSU team, is competing against more than 40 teams from colleges and universities from across the country to raise awareness and understanding of the U.S.'s fiscal and economic challenges.

The competition is an innovative professional development program where teams use research and creativity to build and implement multifaceted campaigns to educate their communities about the growing national debt and how different economic factors contribute to this issue.

Wayne State's Up to PharmD team has chosen to build its campaign on three issues: Unsustainability of U.S. national debt, health care as a major driver of the economy and government spending, and the power of legislation and civic engagement in addressing these challenges. WSU Up to PharmD has spent the semester giving classroom presentations, holding educational events on and off campus, and partnering with local organizations to contact legislators to spread their message.

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"Our generation faces immense challenges that require smart, long-term planning and we're giving elected officials a few reasons why we care about sustainable spending and tax legislation. As the national debt grows, our government spends more of its budget on interest, leaving less money for things like infrastructure, hospitals and education," said Up to PharmD team member Daniyal Nasir.

"Our team's campaign hopes to educate others about the general problems associated with unsustainable government spending while highlighting how to improve the U.S. healthcare system which has its own inefficiencies," added team member Graham Selegean. "The U.S. spends nearly three times as much on health care, yet has the lowest life expectancy and highest suicide rates as other advanced nations. Over $1 billion a day is spent paying the interest on our national debt. Imagine what these funds could be used for if managed differently. Whether it's health care, higher education, clean energy technology or national defense, every American has a vested interest in making sure we get our fiscal policy on a sustainable path. In order to win this year's competition, our WSU Up to PharmD team needs your support, as online votes are a major part of the Up to Us competition."

Please take less than a minute to cast a vote for our Wayne State University Up to PharmD team today!