ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The newfound assertiveness of the pharmacy industry is peaking with the imminence of the presidential election.

With the hotly contested vote less than a month away, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ grassroots advocacy program — NACDS RxIMPACT — is aggressively promoting community pharmacy.

The NACDS RxIMPACT Pharmacy Tour program is having a banner year, boasting dozens of tours and meetings with association member companies and lawmakers. The program offers a firsthand opportunity for lawmakers and their staffs to see the important role that community pharmacy plays in providing quality patient care and helping to reduce drug costs.

Through late last month NACDS members had conducted 49 pharmacy tours and member headquarters meetings with lawmakers in 25 states — an 80%-plus increase from 2011.

Members of Congress in Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and more than a dozen other states had an opportunity to visit an NACDS member pharmacy in their community to learn about the multitude of services that pharmacists ­provide.

The program has hosted more than 100 tours since its inception in 2009. Lawmakers have received flu shots, participated in health screenings, learned about the process of dispensing prescriptions and witnessed pharmacists’ ability to boost medication adherence.

Rep. Jim Matheson (D., Utah) summarized his positive experience in a post on his Facebook page, putting a name and face on the value of community pharmacy.