<p><em>The Washington Post </em>reported, “Tired and irritable, members of Congress will make their getaway from Washington today for their summer recess … Whether the rest they are about to take has been well earned is a question, of course, on which Republicans and Democrats would never agree…”</p>
<p>As an indication of how some things never change, the article ran in 1929.</p>
<p>Congress begins its summer recess August 1, with members arguably as tired and irritable as their predecessors were 85 years ago; however their absence from Washington invites opportunity for making the old axiom “all politics is local” a reality. Because during the summer recess, legislators return to their home districts and it is possible to schedule meetings and pharmacy tours with them through their in-district offices.</p>
<p><a href="http://capwiz.com/nacds/home/pharmacytour">NACDS RxIMPACT</a> pharmacy tours continue their momentum, with the district director for Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) touring an H-E-B in San Antonio on July 29, bringing the total number of in-district pharmacy tours to 79 for 2014. </p>
<p>NACDS RxIMPACT pharmacy tours are a great way to communicate the integral role pharmacy plays in communities across the country. Legislators come away from the tours better informed about the role pharmacists play in their communities—providing face-to-face, accessible healthcare services to their constituents—which leads to better overall health outcomes and reduced costs.</p>
<p>With Congress away from Washington for the month of August, now is the time to contact their in-district congressional offices to schedule a pharmacy tour and convey pro-pharmacy, pro-patient legislative priorities firsthand.</p>
<p style="margin-left: 0in;"><em>For more information on scheduling an NACDS RxIMPACT pharmacy tour, please contact <a href="mailto:hecker@nacds.org">Heidi Ecker</a> at 703-837-4121.</em><em></em></p>