ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation raised more than $1.8 Million for scholarships, charities and public health efforts at its 11th Annual Foundation Dinner this week in New York City.

Donations from the dinner, held Monday evening at the New York Hilton in Manhattan, will go toward scholarship programs that assist with pharmacy students’ education, contributions to charitable organizations and the support of public health initiatives, particularly those that help patients take the right medications in the right ways, the NACDS Foundation said.

"The success of the NACDS Foundation in advancing the public good would not be possible without the continued support of generous benefactors," NACDS Foundation President Edith Rosato said in a statement. "Their level of commitment never ceases to amaze, and the foundation deeply appreciates their participation."

Former First Lady Laura Bush delivered the keynote address. A former teacher and librarian, Bush highlighted her experiences both during and following public life.

"An ambassador for education, health care and human rights issues, Mrs. Bush is a compassionate leader for women and children," Rosato commented. "We appreciated her insights from her role as First Lady for eight years, as well as from her humanitarian work."

In addition, the foundation approved continued funding for the NACDS Foundation and American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) Pharmacy Faculty Development Fellowship in Community Pharmacy Practice.

The 2009 NACDS Foundation AFPE Fellow Macary Marciniak, North Carolina clinical associate professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Pharmacy, will soon be finalizing her project, "Design & Development of a Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2) Community Pharmacy Residency Program," according to the foundation.

Since its inception in 2008, the joint NACDS Foundation/AFPE Fellowship has been awarded to support the development of pharmacy college faculty at pharmacy colleges nationwide with expertise in community pharmacy practice. The grant enables these highly regarded pharmacy faculty teachers to initiate independent projects in community pharmacy practice, the foundation said.