A60-21 Advocating for Albuterol: Cases of Stock Albuterol Advocacy Efforts Across the US

Abstract Introduction In 2021, the American Thoracic Society (ATS), with other health professional organizations, released a policy statement in support of stock albuterol legislation, which allows schools to stock unassigned albuterol to be administered to any student experiencing respiratory distress. This legislation protects children experiencing first-time respiratory distress at school and provides a safety net for children with diagnosed asthma who do not have a rescue inhaler at school, which may occur due to financial or other barriers to healthcare access. Stock albuterol laws must be written, passed, and implemented on a state-by-state basis; these efforts have been undertaken by motivated clinicians and researchers, many of whom are involved in the ATS Pediatric Advocacy committee. Here we describe cases of stock albuterol legislation efforts to identify successful approaches and highlight areas needing additional work. Case The ATS Pediatric Advocacy committee has been working cooperatively on advancing stock albuterol statutes in several states represented by members of the committee. One successful case includes recent passage of stock albuterol legislation in Montana with the help of a committee member who connected with a pediatrician state legislator. Efforts to pass stock albuterol legislation are ongoing in Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Laws have been passed and implementation is ongoing with the support of ATS members in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, and Texas. Challenges have included varying levels of support from local healthcare institutions, lack of protected time for this advocacy work, misinformation around laws, and difficulty navigating the system, including stakeholder appraisal and approaching a legislator. Members have found the ATS Pediatric Advocacy committee network, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the Asthma and Allergy Network, and American Lung Association (ALA) representatives helpful in navigating these challenges, as well as ALA advocacy training videos. Testimonials from patients with asthma are especially helpful, as is guidance from committee members and colleagues who have had success in their states. Discussion These cases of stock albuterol advocacy work represent the efforts of dedicated clinicians and researchers across the US. Stock albuterol legislation is important health justice work, but requires a significant investment of time and resources. Healthcare institutions must support those who are devoting time to these efforts. The ATS Pediatric Advocacy committee offers an essential venue for strategizing and sharing lessons learned from passing and implementing these laws from state to state. This abstract is funded by: None