NCPA Announces 2015 Annual Legislative Conference Programming, Speakers

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 13, 2015) — The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today announced it will hold its 2015 Annual Legislative Conference May 12-13, 2015, when hundreds of community pharmacists will visit our nation’s capital to advocate for community pharmacy and their patients.

“Community pharmacists are on the front lines of patient care, often serving as the sole health care provider in many rural and medically underserved urban areas. Yet our efforts to improve patient outcomes rely on government action to ensure patients have access to the pharmacy of their choice,” said NCPA President John T. Sherrer, RPh, co-owner of Kenmar Pharmacy and Poole’s Pharmacy in Marietta, Ga. “Fortunately, bipartisan measures exist to support the millions of seniors and patients who rely upon these small-business health care providers, and in May we’ll make our case directly to Congress. I strongly urge community pharmacists from across the country to join me for the Legislative Conference as we advocate for pharmacy choice.”

Community pharmacy owner Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) will kick off this year’s conference with a keynote address at the opening lunch on May 12 at the Hilton Crystal City at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va. The conference will conclude with a pharmacists’ rally on Capitol Hill on the morning of May 13.

NCPA members’ top legislative priorities are enacting federal and state MAC reform legislation to alleviate the delays in generic drug reimbursement updates; allowing any willing pharmacy to participate in Medicare Part D preferred networks; and passing pharmacist provider status legislation.

Pharmacist attendees can obtain more than six hours of continuing education credits at the conference, which will include a legislative briefing on issues affecting community pharmacy, a workshop on how to talk with your elected officials led by grassroots communicator Amy Showalter of the Showalter Group, and updates on pharmacy drug pricing as well as legislation at the state level.

Charlie Cook, the editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report and a political analyst for National Journal, will keynote the NCPA Sal D'Angelo PAC Breakfast on May 13.

Individuals can register for the conference online at www.ncpanet.org/legislativeconf or by calling 1-800-544-7447.

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The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents the interests of America's community pharmacists, including the owners of nearly 23,000 independent community pharmacies. Together they represent an $88.8 billion health care marketplace, dispense nearly 40% of all retail prescriptions, and employ more than 300,000 individuals, including over 62,000 pharmacists. To learn more, go to www.ncpanet.org, visit facebook.com/commpharmacy, or follow NCPA on Twitter @Commpharmacy.