Even before Election Day, we know one thing

Editor’s note: NACDS president and chief executive officer Steven Anderson offered some thoughts on Election Day and NACDS RxIMPACT which appeared in a recent NACDS newsletter:

Steven Anderson

Tuesday’s election will decide a lot – including 435 U.S. Representatives, 35 U.S. Senators, 36 Governors, and more than 6,000 state legislators. Control of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate hang in the balance.

We already know one important outcome of Election 2022: the NACDS RxIMPACT grassroots program has grown its advocate based by nearly 40% this year. That is the result of amazing engagement by the people of pharmacy, and a successful campaign waged by NACDS.

Last January, NACDS established a dual-purpose approach to the NACDS RxIMPACT Votes get-out-the-vote program:

• Increase further pharmacy’s political engagement in voter registration, voting turnout, political campaign volunteerism, encouraging other’s involvement, and more; and
• Increase the rolls of registered NACDS RxIMPACT advocates as a result of get-out-the-vote communications to target audiences.

So, get-out-the-vote communications also urged registration for future NACDS RxIMPACT Action Alerts and other important messages.

Why does this matter? Beyond shaping the government of the future and the reputation of pharmacy as a political force, NACDS’ approach has increased the number of individuals who can weigh in with government on key issues.

In just one example, NACDS RxIMPACT advocates accounted for one-quarter of the comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last spring regarding the Medicare Part D rule that ultimately included DIR fee transparency provisions. We will need that engagement and more as we continue to fight for more legislative and regulatory action that is needed for truly comprehensive reform.

Now, it is time to take that important step: be sure to get out and vote next Tuesday, November 8. And be sure to respond to future NACDS RxIMPACT Action Alerts on issues of importance to patience and to pharmacies. Your engagement means everything!