ARLINGTON, Va. — Deepti Loharikar has joined the National Association of Chain Drug Stores as director of federal and state public policy.

Deepti Loharikar

NACDS said late Wednesday that Loharikar comes to association from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she oversaw the development and implementation of long-term strategies for the consumer-oriented and operated plan (CO-OP) insurance program.

At NACDS, Loharikar will serve as the public policy expert on drug and patient safety, Internet pharmacies, consumer drug safety and related issues, providing policy analysis on proposed and enacted legislation and regulations at the state and federal levels. She also will prepare and deliver testimony and regulatory comments and develop other advocacy materials in support of key issues that impact chain pharmacy. She reports to Kevin Nicholson, vice president of public affairs and regulatory affairs at NACDS.

“No stranger to the intersection of law and public health policy, Deepti brings a wealth of experience to her position at NACDS,” NACDS president and chief executive officer Steven Anderson said in a statement. “Deepti’s expertise in health policy, combined with her legal background, makes her an effective legislative and regulatory advocate for chain pharmacy. We welcome her to NACDS’ already highly talented government affairs team.”

In addition, Loharikar has served as a health policy analyst for the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy at HHS. Before her work for the federal government, she practiced law at a law firm in New Jersey and with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.