NACDS RxIMPACT announces 2024 Grassroots awards

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores  RxIMPACT grassroots advocacy program announced several grassroots recognitions during the 2024 NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill Welcome Dinner on Wednesday, March 13. This year’s event convened more than 300 pharmacy advocates and NACDS members from all 50 states, including students and faculty from nearly 60 colleges and schools of pharmacy. 

During the annual grassroots fly-in event, which took place March 13-14 in Washington D.C., NACDS urged members of Congress to act on legislative priorities that benefit Americans and the pharmacies on which they rely.

During the March 13 Dinner Program, NACDS Chair Mike Wysong, CEO of CARE Pharmacies, and NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson presented the awards.

The first award went to Mike Duteau of KPH Healthcare Services, who received the 2024 NACDS RxIMPACT Key Contact of the Year Award. 

The Key Contact Award recognizes pharmacy advocates who actively engage with members of Congress on pro-pharmacy legislative priorities.

Wysong said, “A Key Contact is someone who is ‘go-to’ when it is necessary to reach somebody in government on an important issue—often at a pivotal time. Mike Duteau defines excellence in that role—and much more. One of the top examples of his effectiveness was his highly visible leadership in the push to create and implement the enhanced New York Medicaid pharmacy benefit just last year. This is a huge victory for the eight million New Yorkers in Medicaid.

“Beyond all this, he has advocated at this event for more than a decade, he is a stalwart host of Congressional pharmacy tours and he is one of the top all-time fundraisers for the NACDS Political Action Committee.”

The second award went to Costco Wholesale—who was presented with the 2024 NACDS RxIMPACT Leader of the Year Award, a recognition provided to entire companies. Chris Loving, East Coast Pharmacy Operations for Costco, accepted the award.

Wysong said, “Costco has hosted 15% of all NACDS RxIMPACT pharmacy tours over the past several years. They deserve recognition for helping to accomplish some of the most difficult aspects of NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill—this very event. Costco has been involved in this program for nearly a decade, and has brought over 40 attendees from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.

“When you talk with Costco team members and thank them for their advocacy, one thing stands out: they say thank you and they explicitly say that they make advocacy a top priority so they appreciate hearing that their work makes a difference for Americans and for the industry.”

Anderson also spoke during the Dinner Program.

“You are here for a noble cause and purpose, which is a higher purpose that goes beyond you as an individual and beyond your organizational interest. It represents a compelling and morally significant objective that inspires all of us to work together toward a greater good. And you do that work through this association, NACDS." Anderson said. 

Anderson continued, “NACDS is a force multiplier, and with your engagement in NACDS RxIMPACT, that force multiplier increases all of our effectiveness, resulting in a greater overall impact. You could not be here at a more important time.”

The NACDS RxIMPACT program also recognized the three pioneers who participated in this year’s event. The pioneers are those who attended the first NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill in 2009. The pioneers who also participated in this year’s event included:

• Ron Fitzwater, CEO, Missouri Pharmacy Association 
• Jack Holt, president, Hi-School Pharmacy Services 
• Steve Anderson, president and CEO, NACDS