Letter From the President
Phil Schneider

Greetings to all the fine individuals and organizations who support the NACDS Foundation and its mission of enhancing the role of community pharmacy in our health care system.

As the new President of the NACDS Foundation, I'd like to use this newsletter to briefly introduce myself. Fundraising, or resource development, is a form of advocacy, and

something that I have been involved with for many years. During my career my fundraising activities have ranged from heading my alma mater's development fund, to starting two community foundations, and directing the fundraising activities of five hospitals before joining NACDS in 1991.

Over the coming months we intend to build on the base already established for the NACDS Foundation and further enhance our commitment to supporting research and educational initiatives that can advance the community pharmacy industry, as well as provide support for many worthwhile public charitable causes.

One of our most concrete examples of the Foundation's support for educational efforts that benefit community pharmacy is the tremendous success that has resulted in a “sold out” position for a series of 10 regional educational sessions for pharmacists on the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program.

Among our research efforts is a major initiative to develop demonstration projects that can document the contributions community pharmacy can make to enhancing patient care while potentially reducing health care expenditures through effective medication therapy management programs. One example of this is a special project underway with Children's Hospital in Washington DC addressing pharmacists' ability to improve patient compliance with young people suffering from asthma.

In the arena of charitable giving, the NACDS Foundation, through the support of our donors, has provided more than $6.6 million to over 100 worthy charitable causes, including most recently a gift of $100,000 to aid disaster relief from hurricane Katrina. Your involvement with and attendance at the upcoming NACDS Foundation Dinner in New York on December 6 will provide resources to continue our commitment to charitable causes.

Success in fundraising and resource development involves a dedicated team committed to a worthy mission that is understood and supported by its donors. Joining in our team effort as we advance the Foundation to new levels of accomplishment are Laura Clarke, Director of Foundation Programs, Karen Mays, Manager of Foundation Programs, and Glenna Board, Administrative Coordinator and the person who tries to keep us all on track.

Over the coming months we will be reaching out to you to solicit your views on research and education areas you believe the Foundation should address, as well as your suggestions of worthy charitable causes to support. We also want to explore with you ways we can more fully engage our donors and enhance the recognition to those who support the Foundation.

As we move forward, we thank you again for your support, and pledge to be good stewards of your trust.

Phil Schneider
President

Tremendous community pharmacy response has resulted in a “sold-out” status for the 10 regional Medicare training programs jointly held nationwide by the NACDS

Foundation and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). However, because we anticipated this strong demand, we will also be posting all the materials, including the presentations with slides and audio on the NACDS Foundation website at the end of the month.

Additionally, at the end of the month, the NACDS Foundation, APhA and LearnSomething (an e-learning solutions firm) will be launching an online training program, entitled "Medicare Part D: What Community Pharmacy Needs to Know." This interactive online training program will offer two hours of continuing pharmacy education. The program consists of four 20 minute modules covering the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, its impact on the pharmacy and information including distinctions among the plans, decision-making and enrollment, plus special population issues.

“We're pleased that there is such a strong interest in this important community pharmacy education initiative,” said Harvey Maldow, Director, Professional Relations, AstraZeneca. Both educational programs above are supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca.

For more information, call the NACDS Foundation's Sandra Guckian at (703) 837-4195 or e-mail at sguckian@nacds.org.

NACDS Foundation Offers Online Pharmacist Training for iPLEDGE Risk Management Program

The new iPledge program for Accutane and its generics will begin on November 1, 2005 (although mandatory compliance begins December 31), and the new program is considerably more complex than the current program. The NACDS Foundation is preparing an online training program to assist pharmacy operators help their pharmacists comply with the program. The NACDS Foundation program will allow the pharmacy operator to track all pharmacists who have used the program and attest their understanding.

The program will be available to all pharmacies through LearnSomething (an e-learning solutions firm) for a nominal fee. The projected date of availability is October 7… providing pharmacies three weeks to prepare their pharmacists prior to the November 1 start date for the iPledge program. To order this program or for additional ordering information, e-mail LearnSomething at ddaunt@learnsomething.com . For more information on the NACDS Foundation training program call NACDS' Nora Stelter at (703) 549-3001, ext. 163 or e-mail nstelter@nacds.org. For more information on the iPledge program in general, call NACDS' Ed Staffa, ext. 187 or e-mail estaffa@nacds.org.

Update on Medicare Part B and Part D Conference
		October 25 - 26, 2005 Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD To help prepare community pharmacy for the complexity of the new Medicare Part D, a special conference is being held by the NACDS Foundation to provide a comprehensive overview and

NACDS Foundation Awards Pharmacy Students with Scholarships

Fisher House Foundation, Inc.

Association of Hole in the Wall Camps

update of changes related to Medicare Part D, and to provide an overview of the landscape for beneficiaries, pharmacies, plans and PBMs, state Medicaid programs, and state pharmaceutical assistance programs.

The conference will also provide an important update on current and future changes to the Medicare Part B program that will affect retail pharmacies, such as changes in payments for Part B drugs, as well as the upcoming competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment (DME).

Please click here to find out more about this important conference, why you should attend, and how to register.

CHARITABLE GIVING

The NACDS Foundation was proud to donate $100,000 to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina on behalf of the chain pharmacy industry.

The industry has gone above and beyond to help the victims of the hurricane…please click here to view all of the work NACDS members have done to show their support and compassion for all of the people affected by this disaster.

New Prize Drawing Extravaganza held by the NACDS Foundation to support program initiatives

This year, at the NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference, the NACDS Foundation held its first ever live prize drawing extravaganza at the opening reception of the conference. Sponsored by Sandoz, the event was held to raise money to support the research, charitable and education initiatives of the NACDS Foundation. The evening's lucky winners brought home such grand prizes as a Vespa motor scooter, a 32" flat screen TV, and his and her matching Raymond Weil watches, and much more!

The Chain Pharmacy Industry Profile now available!

The 2005 edition of the Industry Profile is currently available to assist you in maintaining your awareness of the operational issues surrounding this industry. The Industry Profile contains statistics that provide background and serve as a basis for comparison of operational performance of retail pharmacies. This publication provides information on the chain pharmacy industry, as well as on community pharmacy in general.

Please click here to order your copy today.

Medicare Rx Made Simple – A Valuable Tool to Assist Pharmacists

In collaboration with Medicare Today, the NACDS Foundation is helping educate pharmacists and patients on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit... by distributing  Medicare Rx Made Simple wheels to community pharmacies across the country. Developed as a tool to help patients estimate medication savings with Medicare prescription drug coverage, the wheels are now helping thousands of pharmacists explain the new benefit to their patients. The wheel is simple to use…only three steps and the pharmacist can show patients their potential savings. 

lease click here to read more about the Medicare Rx Made Simple wheel in the September Issue of The Practice Memo .  Also, if you would like receive a wheel via mail, please email Stefan Merlo or call at 703-837-4218. 

Student Profile: Marie Ganski, the 2005 NACDS Foundation Howard Sternheim Intern

Marie Ganski, from The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, recently worked as the 2005 NACDS Foundation Howard Sternheim Intern. In memory of Howard Sternheim's longtime commitment to community pharmacy, the NACDS Foundation selects one student each summer for this exciting

opportunity to enhance their understanding of community pharmacy practice, association management, and the issues impacting the chain drug industry.

“I applied for this internship because I knew this was a unique opportunity to spend a summer getting a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in the field of pharmacy. Having worked at so many different retail sites you observe numerous tactics and strategies, and gain an appreciation for the work of pharmacy associations that try to unite the various practice settings and pharmacists out there. I enjoy the writing I have done for The Practice Memo, realizing that this is geared truly for the community pharmacist. The opportunity to work so closely with so many leaders in the field is a great opportunity that any pharmacy student could benefit from.”