ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association plans to hold its 2015 Annual Legislative Conference on May 12 and 13.

NCPA said Friday that the conference, to be held at the Hilton Crystal City at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., will draw hundreds of community pharmacy stakeholders to the nation’s capital to advocate for community pharmacists and their patients.

“Community pharmacists are on the front lines of patient care, often serving as the sole health care provider in many rural and medically underserved urban areas. Yet our efforts to improve patient outcomes rely on government action to ensure patients have access to the pharmacy of their choice,” NCPA President John Sherrer, co-owner of Kenmar Pharmacy and Poole’s Pharmacy in Marietta, Ga., said in a statement.

“Fortunately, bipartisan measures exist to support the millions of seniors and patients who rely upon these small-business health care providers, and in May we’ll make our case directly to Congress,” Sherrer stated. “I strongly urge community pharmacists from across the country to join me for the Legislative Conference as we advocate for pharmacy choice.”

Community pharmacy owner Rep. Buddy Carter (R., Ga.) will begin this year’s conference with a keynote address at the opening lunch on May 12. The conference will conclude with a morning pharmacists’ rally on Capitol Hill on May 13.

In addition, Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report and a political analyst for National Journal, will keynote the NCPA Sal D’Angelo PAC Breakfast on May 13.

Among NCPA members’ legislative priorities are enacting federal and state MAC reform legislation to alleviate the delays in generic drug reimbursement updates, allowing any willing pharmacy to participate in Medicare Part D preferred networks, and passing pharmacist provider status legislation.

Pharmacist attendees can obtain more than six hours of continuing education credits at the conference, which will include a legislative briefing on issues affecting community pharmacy; a workshop on how to talk with elected officials, led by grassroots communicator Amy Showalter of the Showalter Group; and updates on pharmacy drug pricing, as well as legislation at the state level.