Legislators are home for the month of August and community pharmacies are taking advantage of the opportunity to host them. Some of the recent visits included health staff for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) visiting Wurlitzer Family Pharmacy in North Tonawanda, N.Y., and staff for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) visiting Watertown Pharmacy in Watertown, Minn.
Aside from leadership, pharmacists also hosted members of key committees, or their staff, including Reps. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, who visited both Kizer Pharmacy and Phipps Pharmacy in his district, and Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), also a member of the Ways and Means Committee, who visited Dave’s Pharmacy in Hemingford. (Dave’s Pharmacy also hosted a visit with Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)) In Georgia, Sandersville Drug Co. hosted Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.), and in Virginia, staff for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the HELP Committee, visited Elkton Family Pharmacy in Elkton, Va.
These visits provided the legislators a first-hand view of the important role community pharmacies play in our health care system and allowed the hosting pharmacists to discuss the urgent need for Congress to pass robust PBM reforms so patients maintain access to their pharmacy of choice. If your member of Congress sits on a key committee (Energy and Commerce or Ways and Means committees in the House or the Finance or HELP committees in the Senate), a pharmacy visit is particularly helpful.
You can use this new resource to determine if your legislator sits on one of these committees and if they are running for reelection. If you have not yet invited your legislators for a visit to your pharmacy, take advantage of NCPA’s Months of Action resources. Complete this interest form or email Michael Rule at [email protected] to get started!
