NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference Opens With Insightful Words From Leading Health Care Representatives, USA

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 15 Aug 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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The 41st Annual National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Pharmacy and Technology Conference kicked off day before yesterday morning with tremendous energy and exceptional insights, not to mention increased attendance and a greater number of retailers compared with 2006.

Bob Dufour, 2007 Conference chairman and director of pharmacy, professional services and government affairs at Wal-Mart Stores, began the meeting with introductory remarks, greeting attendees and reflecting on notable change and opportunities in the industry.

Dufour urged all those in attendance to make the most of their time, to participate in any of the 27 hours of Continuing Education programs and to engage with suppliers and retailers they have never met before. Most importantly he stressed the value of continuous advancement in the healthcare field, citing innovations made over the past year.

"The winners in our business are those who continue to make health care affordable and improve quality. Each retailer and supplier represented here has this opportunity," Dufour urged.

Dave Bernauer, chairman of the Board of NACDS and retired chairman and CEO of Walgreen Co., addressed attendees about the current state of the health care industry. He also stressed the importance of working together to seize opportunities to enhance the practice of pharmacy, such as finding workable solutions to prevent counterfeit drugs from entering the supply chain; proactively engaging in the adoption and promotion of electronic scripts (E-Scripts); and taking proactive steps to develop standards for both Electronic Medical and Personal Health Records to ensure pharmacists have access to relevant patient medical information.

Bernauer stressed that now is a pivotal time for the practice of pharmacy stating, " Never have we had such opportunities to enhance the practice of pharmacy. I'm convinced we can make pharmacy a much more important - and much larger - part of healthcare going forward."

The meeting concluded with a leading voice on health issues in America today - former U.S. Senator William H. Frist. Frist represented the state of Tennessee in the U.S. Senate, and served as Senate Majority Leader from 2003-2007. While in the Senate, Frist worked to strengthen Medicare, provide seniors with better access to prescription drugs and make health care more affordable and available to every American. Frist's pre-political background as a renowned surgeon makes it no surprise that he continues to pursue the field after being in elected office.

Frist used a case study to illustrate how the issues impacting community pharmacies will not be remedied without working together. For Frist's presentation: speech, slides.

"To generate transformational change to such a consumer-driven, patient-centered, provider-friendly healthcare system will require entrepreneurial, collaborative kinds of partnerships," said Frist. "Obviously the community-based retail pharmacy plays a vital role in these partnerships - because of the trust and the unique value it brings to the individual patient. These partnerships must combine the innovation of the business world, the passion and humanity of the nonprofit world, and the inclusive networked culture of the digital world."

http://www.nacds.org