[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 48 (Monday, March 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E378-E379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING NACDS RxIMPACT DAY

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                     HON. EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 23, 2015

  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
Seventh Annual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill. This is a special 
day where we recognize pharmacy's contribution to the American 
healthcare system. This year's event, organized by the National 
Association of Chain Drug Stores, takes place on March 25-26. Nearly 
400 individuals from the pharmacy community--including practicing 
pharmacists, pharmacy school faculty and students, state pharmacy 
leaders and pharmacy company executives--will visit Capitol Hill. They 
will share their views with Congress about the importance of supporting 
legislation that protects access to community and neighborhood 
pharmacies and that utilizes pharmacists to improve the quality and 
reduce the costs of providing healthcare.
  Advocates from 45 states have travelled to Washington to talk about 
the pharmacy community's contributions in over 40,000 community 
pharmacies nationwide. These important healthcare providers are here to 
educate Congress about the value of pharmacists and protect access to 
the essential services they provide as part of our healthcare delivery 
system. And just as these providers travelled to meet with us, Members 
of Congress and their staff have toured retail chain pharmacies in our 
own communities more than 325 times since 2009.
  Patients have always relied on their local pharmacist to meet their 
healthcare needs. The local pharmacist is a trusted, highly accessible 
healthcare provider deeply committed to providing the highest quality 
care in the most efficient manner possible.
  As demand for healthcare services continues to grow, pharmacists have 
expanded their role in healthcare delivery, partnering with physicians, 
nurses and other healthcare providers to meet their patients' needs. 
Innovative services provided by pharmacists do even more to improve 
patient healthcare. Pharmacists are highly valued by those that rely on 
them most--those in rural and underserved areas, as well as older 
Americans, and those struggling to manage chronic diseases. Pharmacy 
services improve patients' quality of life as well as healthcare 
affordability. By helping patients take their medications effectively 
and providing preventive services, pharmacists help avoid more costly 
forms of care. Pharmacists also help patients identify strategies to 
save money, such as through better understanding of their pharmacy 
benefits, using generic medications, and obtaining 90-day supplies of 
prescription drugs from local pharmacies.
  Pharmacists are the nation's most accessible healthcare providers. In 
many communities, especially in rural areas, the local pharmacist is a 
patient's most direct link to healthcare. Eighty-nine percent of 
Americans reside within a five-mile radius of a community pharmacy. 
Pharmacists are one of our nation's most trusted healthcare 
professionals. Utilizing their specialized education, pharmacists play 
a major role in medication therapy management, disease-state 
management, immunizations, healthcare screenings, and other healthcare 
services designed to improve patient health and reduce overall 
healthcare costs. Pharmacists are also expanding their role into new 
models of care based on quality of services and outcomes, such as 
accountable care organizations (AC0s) and medical homes.
  Mr. Speaker, as we refine healthcare reform and seek new strategies 
to improve patient care, pharmacists will play a critical role. I 
believe Congress should look at every opportunity to make sure that 
pharmacists are allowed to utilize their training to the fullest to 
provide the services that can improve care and lower costs. In 
recognition of the Seventh Annual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill, I 
would like to congratulate pharmacy leaders, pharmacists, students, 
executives, and the entire pharmacy community represented by the 
National Association of Chain Drug Stores, for their contributions to 
the good health of the American people.

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