ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has turned to a trade association veteran with a proven track record to lead it into the future.

Former Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) president and chief executive officer Kathleen Jaeger was named NCPA executive vice president and chief executive officer at the association’s 112th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition in Boston late last month.

She succeeds Bruce Roberts, who retired as head of the NCPA in June.

Jaeger, who earlier this year stepped down after eight years at the helm of GPhA, took the reins at NCPA on November 1.

NCPA president and Arlington, Texas, pharmacy owner Joseph Harmison made the announcement during his address to NCPA’s members. “Kathleen brings a demonstrated track record of successful advocacy along with a firsthand pharmacy background,” he said. “[Her] knowledge of the pharmacy industry and proven Washington expertise make her a perfect fit for NCPA.”

A pharmacist and attorney, Jaeger has vowed to work to strengthen the role that independent pharmacies play in the nation’s evolving health care system — something that she says is close to her heart.

“As the daughter of an independent community pharmacist, and as a pharmacist myself, I understand the critical and growing role neighborhood pharmacies play in our health care system as well as the challenges they face,” Jaeger says.

“Every day millions of Americans depend on community pharmacists for quality medicines and expert counseling to feel better and lead more productive lives,” she adds. “Community pharmacies not only effectively and efficiently deliver this critical care to consumers, they do so while also substantially reducing overall health care costs.

“Thus,” she says, “we need to ensure that independent pharmacists are indispensable to America’s health care system today, tomorrow and beyond.”

NCPA executives say that Jaeger’s accomplishments during her time with GPhA bode well for the association’s future.

During her eight years with the generic drug trade group, Jaeger is credited with transforming the association into a powerful voice for the generics industry, developing aggressive and effective public policy, advocacy and communications programs that resulted in legislative and regulatory decisions that benefitted the industry.

For instance, she diligently fought for the health care reform law that was passed earlier this year to include a provision for the FDA to approve biosimilars.

But that victory came at a price. While GPhA had sought to limit biotech innovators’ exclusivity to five years before the FDA could approve a bio­similar generic drug, the new law set the exclusivity period at 12 years.

Prior to her stint at GPhA, Jaeger chaired the food and drug practice for two Washington law firms.