NACDS RxIMPACT Votes Empowers Pharmacy to Get Out the Vote

PRESS RELEASE

September 27, 2012

Alexandria, Va. — With less than six weeks until Election Day — November 6 - the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) grassroots advocacy program is in high gear with its NACDS RxIMPACT Votes program, urging pharmacy advocates to help shape pharmacy’s future through political engagement.

The nonpartisan NACDS RxIMPACT Votes program empowers pharmacy advocates with a toolkit of resources to show the powerful role they can play in the election process. The program focuses its “get out the vote” (GOTV) campaign in three ways: 1) offering tools for registering to vote, 2) volunteering on a campaign to build candidate relationships before and after the election, and 3) voting on Election Day — all for the candidates of their choice.

Pharmacy advocates can find resources on the NACDS RxIMPACT Votes website, including election guides, voter information, fact sheets on volunteering for a campaign and tools to help employees engage in the political process. In addition, NACDS has redesigned its Facebook banner and Twitter icon to include the “get out the vote” effort — urging advocates to utilize social media to promote their advocacy activities.

NACDS member companies are identifying opportunities to engage with their employees and patients to get out the vote in a number of ways. Opportunities include sending letters or postcards to their pharmacists and staff urging them to get involved in the election process, and providing fact sheets, payroll stuffers, and literature inside prescription medication bags with information about how patients can also get politically engaged in their communities.

“An election is an important opportunity to make one’s voice heard. Every door that is knocked on and every lever pulled on Election Day is an opportunity to shape politics, and in the long-term shape policies that impact pharmacy and patients,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE.

NACDS RxIMPACT Votes is also engaging students in the election process. During the month of October, NACDS RxIMPACT Votes is working to support campus activities and gatherings at colleges and universities of pharmacy in key battleground states to celebrate the power of voting. Interested students or schools should contact Heidi Ecker, NACDS director of government affairs and grassroots programs at hecker@nacds.org or (703) 837-4121.

“The NACDS RxIMPACT Votes program provides a roadmap for NACDS member companies, pharmacy students and pharmacy advocates to get engaged and get involved in the election process to make a difference for the future of pharmacy. We urge pharmacy advocates to make their mark and get engaged, get involved and vote on November 6,” said Anderson.