Doug Long Receives Distinguished Harold W. Pratt Award

PRESS RELEASE

August 28, 2012

NACDS' highest honor recognizes Long's four decades of commitment to pharmacy

Denver, Colo. — Concluding the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Pharmacy & Technology Conference tonight, the Association bestowed its highest honor — the Harold W. Pratt Award – to industry leader Doug Long.

Long’s dedication to pharmacy spans four decades, with the last 23 years spent at IMS Health implementing health databases, fostering relationships with manufacturers and associations and developing new products. Long is most recognized for his annual Industry Year in Review, showcasing the trends and forecasts in the U.S. market. He is a frequent speaker for industry groups, including NACDS. Prior to his role at IMS Health, Long served in various sales and marketing capacities for Nielsen Market Research.

Harold W. Pratt — for whom the award is named – dedicated himself to many years of service at Walgreens, becoming the industry’s first director of professional services. Over the course of his 43 years of service to Walgreens, Pratt came to be recognized as the “Dean” of pharmacy professional service directors. He worked tirelessly to grow and promote pharmacy operations. Pratt also served as chairman of the first NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference.

The annual award that is named for Pratt, established in 1985 by the NACDS Board of Directors, recognizes individuals whose activities have contributed to the promotion, recognition and improvement of the practice of pharmacy within the chain drug industry.

“Doug Long has earned a reputation as one of the foremost ‘go-to’ sources when it comes to the numbers and trends behind this industry,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “Doug has built a reputation of synthesizing the latest industry information and forecasting ‘what’s next’ in ways that helps stakeholders understand what it means for their day-to-day businesses. NACDS is honored to bestow the distinguished Harold W. Pratt award upon Doug Long and we thank him for his continued service to pharmacy.”