Arkansas Has a Racially Discriminatory Board of Pharmacy

Look no further than its mandate on who’s eligible to serve on the State Board of Pharmacy. As the Pacific Legal Foundation has uncovered, the state is putting race above the qualification that matters most in health care: Expertise. This discrimination is therefore a direct threat to patients. It must be stopped immediately.

The State Board of Pharmacy consists of eight members. Five are experienced pharmacists and two are representatives of consumers. However, Arkansas Code (2020) requires that “one (1) member shall be a minority who is a licensed practicing pharmacist in the state,” appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

Such discriminatory mandates reflect the woke corruption of health care. States like Arkansas likely restrict membership on boards in order to please woke activists who demand race and gender quotas in the name of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Yet discrimination violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution. Arkansas has no right to restrict membership based on race.

The State Board of Pharmacy oversees critical parts of the medical field. When board members are chosen by race, they are potentially deprived of more qualified experts. It can result in less medically sound policies and more woke extremism. Health authorities should be solely focused on improving health outcomes, regardless of race, gender, or any other consideration.

This board is under the umbrella of the Arkansas Department of Health, which is the same agency that oversees the Arkansas Minority Health Commission (AMHC). As we reported in May 2023, Do No Harm settled a federal lawsuit with the AMHC regarding its unconstitutional “Minority Healthcare Diversity Scholarship.” This scholarship was also discriminating on the basis of race by limiting eligibility to “African American, Hispanic, Native African/American Indian, Asian American or Marshallese.” As a result of the settlement, the AMHC no longer offers the award.

Do No Harm is dedicated to fighting discrimination in health care. If you or anyone you know wants to serve on this board, please contact us. We’d love to work with you to restore fairness and equal treatment to Arkansas.