Merck Receives NCPA 2013 Corporate Recognition Award

PRESS RELEASE

ORLANDO, Fla. (October 13, 2013) — Merck & Co. Inc. was honored today with the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) 2013 Corporate Recognition Award. The award was given during NCPA’s 115th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition. This award recognizes a company for its support and work on behalf of independent community pharmacies.

“Merck is improving the quality of life for millions of people throughout the world and has a long-standing, substantive relationship with NCPA that goes back over a century,” said Donnie Calhoun, RPh, NCPA president and an independent pharmacy owner in Anniston, Ala. “Merck is a very deserving recipient of the NCPA 2013 Corporate Recognition Award, and we hope to continue our strong relationship in the future as, among other shared goals, we both seek to ensure patients are maximizing the benefits of prescription drugs through greater adherence.”

Merck traces its roots to 1668 and a village apothecary in Germany. It has recorded a number of firsts in its long history: the first commercial small pox vaccine, the first measles vaccine, and the first mumps vaccine. In addition, Merck also has been an industry leader with over-the-counter (OTC) products, including iconic offerings such as Coppertone®, Dr. Scholl’s®, and Claritin®.

Merck has been directly helping pharmacists since it published the first Merck Manual in 1899. More recently, Merck has been a champion and true partner with NCPA in the Pharmacists Advancing Medication Adherence (PAMA) initiative and as the sole sponsor of NCPA’s Adherence Institute for the past two years. This special track of adherence-themed programming at NCPA’s convention provides pharmacists with ideas for how they can take their adherence services to the next level to improve patient health and outcomes and showcase their role as medication experts. Merck’s support of NCPA’s adherence initiative is just part of the company’s larger commitment to advancing adherence and helping patients have more productive interactions with their health care professionals.

Merck also has been a key supporter of pharmacists providing immunization services, an important niche service that a large percentage of independent community pharmacies offer, especially now that pharmacists are authorized in all 50 states by law to administer flu vaccines.

“Merck believes community pharmacists are an important, accessible part of the health care team. Merck values its relationship with NCPA and community pharmacy and is pleased to support the Pharmacists Advancing Medication Adherence initiative and the Adherence Institute programming,” said Ken Massey, PharmD, Vice President, US Medical Affairs. ” We are honored to have been selected for the NCPA Corporate Recognition Award and look forward to continuing our relationship with NCPA and community pharmacists.”