Board members' two-day Washington fly-in took place amid the health care reform debate in the Senate

WASHINGTON — National Association of Chain Drug Stores board members from around the country met with House and Senate leaders this week to promote pharmacy’s role in affordable, accessible and quality health care for all Americans.

NACDS board members met with several notable lawmakers including House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee vice chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), fifth from left.

Board members flew in to the district to discuss pharmacy priorities directly with lawmakers, including provider status legislation, health care reform, transparency in Medicare Part D, TRICARE, responses to the opioid epidemic, opposition to the Border Adjustment Tax, and regulatory reform.

They also got a chance to visit the headquarters of Washington’s nonpartisan digital media and survey research company, Morning Consult, to get a hands-on tutorial in using opinion research data to advocate more effectively. NACDS recently launched videos on navigating the AccessAgenda.NACDS.org microsite, which has resources based on Morning Consult’s research, to create a district report filled with relevant information about congressional districts to quantitatively make a case to lawmakers — and to share on social media — about registered voters’ perceptions of pharmacy’s accessibility, innovation and trust.

To frame the significance of pharmacy’s contribution to health care delivery during the fly-in, NACDS launched an advertising initiative in Capitol Hill publications, The Hill, Politico, Morning Consult and Roll Call. The print and digital ads convey the timeliness and relevance of pharmacy’s Access Agenda — its importance to Americans and to elected officials alike as they search for opportunities to improve access to quality and affordable care. Politico Influence newsletter also reported on the fly-in.

Board members were able to tell pharmacy’s story to lawmakers in individualized settings at a pivotal time in the health care policy making and political process.