BOCA RATON, Fla. And ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Chain Drug Consortium (CDC) and National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) are stepping up their collaboration to better leverage the strengths of each organization to more effectively advance the interests of community pharmacists and their patients.

The CDC and NCPA said Thursday that they’re expanding their partnership to generate new NCPA members and additional resources for programs like NCPA’s Legislative Defense Fund (LDF). This, in turn, would allow NCPA to implement more effective advocacy programs to better support community pharmacies, the organizations noted.

CDC leadership has already begun appealing to its members in writing and at industry gatherings to join the NCPA, donate to the LDF and, if an NCPA member, to contribute to the NCPA’s political action committee, the CDC and NCPA reported.

"Realizing that many of our CDC members are also NCPA members, it makes sense that CDC work closely with the leadership of NCPA to address the many challenges that face community pharmacy today," Edward Frisch, president and chief executive officer of the Chain Drug Consortium, said in a statement.

A group purchasing and marketing organization, the CDC provides members — which include family-owned and privately held pharmacy chains — with programs, services and buying power to help them compete with large national chains and mail-order pharmacies.

CDC members include Bartell Drugs, Discount Drug Mart, Drug Emporium WV, Farmacias El Amal, Farmacias Carol, Hartig Drug, Hi-School Pharmacy, Kerr Drug, Kinney Drugs, La Colonia, Lewis Drug, Lifechek, Navarro Discount Pharmacies, Osborn Drugs, Pamida, ShopKo, Thrifty White Pharmacy and USA Drug.

"NCPA is proud to join forces with Chain Drug Consortium, and we’re excited about what this partnership can accomplish for community pharmacists and for our patients," stated NCPA President Joseph Harmison, an Arlington, Texas, pharmacy owner. "Working together, our combined efforts will produce new synergy and unity to promote the voice of community pharmacies, be they single stores or family-run chains."

The NCPA represents more than 22,700 independent community pharmacies, pharmacy franchises and chains.