NACDS RxIMPACT Votes is actively engaged in motivating and educating the pharmacy community on the importance of getting out the vote.

The presidential election on November 8 is right around the corner, but it’s not too late to get friends and colleagues engaged and ready to vote.

NACDS RxIMPACT Votes is actively engaged in motivating and educating the pharmacy community on the importance of getting out the vote. With funding from the program, Steve Ferris, Discount Drug Mart, Inc.’s government and public affairs director, arranged another successful get-out-the-vote event during a twice yearly pharmacists meeting, which is a mix of continuing education, best practices and vendor sessions. Ferris said the event was “super.”

There were more than 225 pharmacists and members of Discount Drug Mart, Inc.’s corporate team in attendance over the two-day meeting.

Ferris used the newly-created NACDS RxIMPACT Votes flyer as a handout in packets for the event, and the event’s speaker emphasized the importance of NACDS RxIMPACT Votes—and, especially, showing up at the polls. Ferris plans to follow up with an email blast to 1,000 of Discount Drug Mart, Inc.’s employees who are related to their pharmacy operations and all their corporate office employees with a link to PharmacyVoter.org. The NACDS RxIMPACT Votes resource site features #PharmacyVoter campaign ads “Momentum” and “Effective,” which encourage pharmacy personnel to volunteer and vote for candidates of their choice. Ferris will also send an email blast closer to the election with information on polling locations.

These NACDS RxIMPACT Votes resources are accessible and ready to be shared. Election Day is almost here and voter turnout, especially after such a contentious campaign, is more important than ever.

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Brandon Martin, PharmD, pharmacy manager of the Ladue, Mo. Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company, at a roundtable to discuss curbing opioid abuse.

NACDS RxIMPACT lauds Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company’s, participation in a roundtable discussion with Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) recently in Ladue, Mo. An emergency room physician, a police officer and members of the addiction treatment and mental health community also participated to discuss strategies to curb the rise of opioid addiction in their community.

The group discussed strategies to engage young people and families to increase awareness about opioid addiction.  They also talked about the potential benefits for their community with the passage of bipartisan, NACDS-backed legislation, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). The bill  would adjust existing authorizations and programs to provide a series of resources and incentives to help healthcare providers, law enforcement officials and state and local governments to expand drug treatment, prevention and recovery efforts.

Brandon Martin, PharmD, the pharmacy’s general manager, said, “It was a productive meeting and I was able to share our company’s mission and talk about what we do here at Genoa.” He added that the meeting was “definitely a positive experience.”

Senate Armed Services Committee member Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE, third from left) participated in an NACDS RxIMPACT pharmacy tour at Amber Pharmacy Omaha, Neb., August 22. NACDS RxIMPACT has hosted 64 in-district activities this year–and counting.