Retail Business Conference Encourages Pharmacists to Lead Change

Cardinal Health and the National Community Pharmacists’ Association host the Retail Business Conference in Washington, DC.

Community pharmacists converged on the nation’s capital this week, armed with 2 simple messages: the importance of the role they play in helping patients manage their health, and their ability to make health care more cost-effective.

Those messages will underscore Cardinal Health and the National Community Pharmacists Association’s (NCPA) annual Retail Business Conference (RBC), which began July 23, 2014, and runs through July 26, 2014, in Washington, DC. The event encourages pharmacists to become leaders for change within their profession, their business, and their communities, while focusing on the profession’s future.

This year’s event is expected to draw more than 8000 attendees.

Kickoff events included Health on the National Mall, a free, public, educational event showcasing the pharmacist’s expanding role in improving community health. Pharmacist experts occupied tents in front of the Capitol Building from 10 am to 1 pm July 23, and offered practical and professional advice on chronic health conditions.

In addition to providing insight into how patients can better manage common health issues like asthma, diabetes, heart health, and weight, the event highlighted the many ways pharmacists provide knowledgeable and accessible patient care services to their communities.

“Community pharmacists play a critical role in helping patients achieve better health outcomes,” NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, said in a press release. “This is particularly true in rural communities where the independent community pharmacist may be the only provider for many miles around.”

The conference’s opening session also included a candid discussion on political and health care issues, led by husband and wife duo Mary Matalin and James Carville. Matalin, a well-known conservative author, television, radio host, pundit, and public speaker, and Carville, one of America’s best-known political consultants and a best-selling author, actor, producer, talk-show host, speaker, and restaurateur, offer discussion from both sides of the political spectrum.

Other notable events include a Healthcare Roundtable Discussion featuring first-hand insights on issues affecting pharmacy from pharmacy industry leaders, an innovation hub showcasing pharmacy-focused health technology products, and Learning Lounge, where pharmacists can learn about key community initiatives.