It has been my honor to represent Bucks County on Democratic State Committee, the governing body of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, since 2022. I ask for your vote to be re-elected on May 19th so that I may continue serving you.
I am a proud Bucks County native and hold two leadership positions advocating for voters within the State Party. I have diligently worked on campaigns for President, Governor, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices, Attorney General, and local candidates. Also, I delivered the Invocation at the Fall 2025 State Committee meeting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
As a pharmacist, I see the challenges patients face accessing prescription drugs, affordable healthcare, housing, and childcare. I started my pharmacy career 19 years ago as an overnight pharmacist, at the Rite Aid in Levittown Five Points. Today, at that very same location, there is a Dollar Tree. Rite Aid, formerly the nation’s third largest pharmacy chain, has closed all their pharmacies. Several neighborhood pharmacies have also closed. Pharmacies cannot survive if they are consistently paid below cost for purchasing a drug. Some pharmacies will refuse to fill your prescription because they actually lose money filling it. Patients not only have to worry about affording medications, but also which pharmacy to use. This is not a sustainable model for pharmacy services in our country. We need to reform payment policies for prescriptions drugs and ensure pharmacy access for our communities.
I advocate for patients locally, in Harrisburg, and on Capitol Hill, fighting for affordable insulin, increased funding for rare disease research, and expanded access to care for people with disabilities. Improving access to prescription drugs should be a key priority. Earlier in my career, I managed a Medicaid Pharmacy Program in Washington, DC. Currently, I serve as a Consumer Reviewer for the US Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
I hear your concerns about hospital and pharmacy closures, cuts in healthcare benefits, costs at the pharmacy counter and medical debt. Some hospitals have closed their intensive care units and labor and delivery wards due to reimbursements not covering high operating costs. Minutes can determine life or death in an emergency. Earlier this year, a hospital in Sellersville, PA temporarily closed their labor and delivery ward. More hospitals in Bucks County are not immune if policies do not change. Reform is needed to support hospital sustainability.
Supporting the community is also deeply important to me. My activities have included service on the Boards of Directors of YWCA Bucks County, Falls Township Disabled Persons Advisory Board, multiple professional pharmacy organizations, and appointment by the Bucks County Commissioners to the Human Relations Council. In recognition of my work, I was honored in 2021, with the YWCA Bucks County Salute to Women Who Make a Difference Award in “Advocacy and Civic Engagement”.
I want to continue fighting for affordable healthcare, improved access to prescription drugs, a Bucks County that is truly affordable for working families. There is much at stake.
I, Dr. Seema Kazmi, respectfully ask for your vote on May 19.