Our freedom comes from our advocacy — and from that advocacy comes our freedom. That was the idea NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey kept coming back to in his stirring address to Annual Convention attendees during yesterday’s Second General Session, sponsored by RedSail Technologies. Pharmacies are a critical piece of America’s health care infrastructure, he pointed out, and NCPA is fighting to ensure they are able to continue making communities across the country healthier and stronger. Throughout his remarks, Hoey reviewed the work NCPA is doing to remind the public, and policymakers, of the fundamental role independent pharmacies play in the public’s well-being.
First, he noted our “Neighbors, Not Numbers” branding campaign designed to raise awareness among consumers that they have access to high-quality care they can’t find at a national chain or mail-order pharmacy. He touted the success the campaign has had in its first year: Four ad spots that have been watched over 7 million times, an increase in foot traffic in pharmacies of five percent, and the decision by over 500 NCPA members to customize one of the spots to showcase their pharmacy in their local markets.
Turning to the federal advocacy work NCPA does, Hoey touted the passage of the first-ever PBM reform in the history of Medicare Part D with legislation requiring CMS to establish standards around reasonable and relevant pharmacy contract terms.
“That didn't happen by accident,” Hoey said. “It happened because the NCPA team and thousands of pharmacy owners were relentless in advocating for change.”
He then announced a new initiative: The NCPA State Advocacy Grant Program, which will provide state pharmacy organizations with additional resources to advance legislation in five areas: commercial payment reform, PBM-pharmacy ownership laws, audit reform legislation, state cost of dispense surveys, and the creation of state funds to provide grants to eligible pharmacies.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, Hoey noted, Americans built something extraordinary: A nation that understood freedom wasn’t something you inherited, but something you participated in. In caring for patients, he said, community pharmacists are expressing their freedom to make life in their communities better, strengthening America in the process.
“As America begins its next 250 years, I believe community pharmacy's best days are still ahead,” Hoey said. “Because the same spirit that built this country is embodied by every independent pharmacy owner and their teams who choose to serve, to lead, and to advocate.”
