SAN DIEGO — Continuing its efforts to engage on pro-pharmacy, pro-patient issues from policy and political perspectives, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores launched a “get-out-the-vote” effort and recognized the political engagement of two member companies at the 2010 NACDS Pharmacy and Technology Conference held here last month.

Those actions followed the appointment of J. Anne Foley as director of political affairs of the NACDS government affairs and public policy department.

The ballot box initiative, RxIMPACT Votes, is a bipartisan campaign to encourage pharmacy personnel to register to vote and to volunteer for political campaigns and vote for the candidates of their choice.

The effort is “important for the future of pharmacy,” said NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson. “Pharmacy advocates now have the tools to register to vote and find out about elections in their communities and how to get involved in campaigns, which are all key ways to engage in the political process.”

The bipartisan NACDS Political Action Committee (NACDS-PAC) — which supports the congressional campaigns of pro-pharmacy candidates — and the NACDS RxIMPACT grassroots advocacy program joined forces during an event at the conference to celebrate political involvement. NACDS recognized the recipients of the NACDS-PAC Politically Engaged Pharmacy “PEP” award and the NACDS RxIMPACT Leader of the Year award.

The 2010 recipient of the PEP honor is H.E. Butt Grocery Co., for its involvement in the political process to help ensure pharmacy’s collective voice is heard by policy makers.
Sears Holdings Corp.’s Kmart Pharmacy won the RxIMPACT Leader of the Year award. The company was recognized for its distribution of nearly 20 RxIMPACT “Calls to Action” that inspired pharmacy teams to send thousands of letters to policy makers concerning pro-pharmacy issues.

As political affairs director, Foley will lead proactive political programs, including NACDS-PAC. She reports to Paul Kelly, the association’s vice president of federal affairs.

Foley joins an NACDS team and membership that are “highly engaged in the political process,” said Anderson. “Anne’s expertise in managing political programs, as well as her political advocacy and fund-raising experience, will help to further engage NACDS members politically to achieve pro-patient, pro-pharmacy policies.”

One of Foley’s tasks will be to enhance collaboration between NACDS-PAC and other association programs, including grassroots and state affairs, to raise the association’s political visibility at the federal and state levels. She is also charged with developing a growing fund-raising capability.

Foley joins NACDS from Credit Union National Association Inc., where she managed the organization’s political programs.