NASP adds Walgreens, Pfizer and AstraZeneca execs to board
WASHINGTON — The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy has added three new members to its board of directors. The organization brought on Walgreens VP federal government relations and U.S. public policy Ed Kaleta; Pfizer's regional president North America for rare disease Tolga Tangular; and AstraZeneca’s executive director of access services Blaine Squires.
“Ed Kaleta, Tolga Tanguler, and Blaine Squires are three experienced, accomplished and seasoned industry veterans, tasked with elevating the practice of specialty pharmacy, promoting the education and certification of pharmacists, and advocating for public policies that ensure patients have appropriate access to specialty medications on behalf of NASP’s multi-stakeholder membership,” NASP executive director Sheila Arquette said. “These three remarkable leaders will be instrumental in helping to ensure patients receive the high-quality, high-touch patient care and support services that are critical to optimally managing and living with complex, life-altering, and often life-threatening diseases.”
Kaleta leads Walgreens’ federal lobbying and public policy activities. Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy offers access to specialty medications, as well as such services as helping patients with medication adherence and connecting patients with financial assistance programs and refill reminder services. Before joining Walgreens, Kaleta was Humana’s Washington office director, helping navigate the company through a health reform legislation effort. He also tripled the size of Humana’s political action committee. He is a founding member of the Coalition for Competitive Pharmaceutical Markets and serves on the boards of Illinois Group and the Business Government Relations Group.
“It’s an honor to serve on the board of an organization dedicated to helping our communities deal with the most devastating of diseases,” Kaleta said. “I believe our pharmacies and pharmacists are the best at what they do, and are vital to the provision and sustainability of healthcare for America. We must ensure that lawmakers understand and recognize their value so that our patients receive the therapy and resources they need to be well.”
In his role at Pfizer, Tanguler leads more than 200 colleagues in marketing, sales, access and medical and corporate affairs, as well as a portfolio of six assets to ensure their focus on transforming patients’ lives. One important focus area of his is ensuring that the engagement and experience of patients with rare diseases take precedent in all programs while ensuring the organization is ready for its next phase of scientific breakthroughs. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having held leadership roles in such markets as the United States, Japan, Latin America and Africa/Midde East. He was most recently VP global marketing for Eliquis.
“I am honored to be elected to the board of the NASP,” Tolanger said. "I am certain it will provide new opportunities to partner with other industry leaders to raise the standards of patient engagement and ensure access to treatment options for rare disease patients who often do not have other alternatives."
Squires heads the AstraZeneca team that oversees the its field reimbursement managers, its internal hub, AZ Access360 and affordability programs. He has previously worked for Johnson & Johnson, Genentech, and has worked with several start-up pharmacy companies. He is a licensed pharmacist in Texas.
"Being part of the NASP team is a tangible way for me to connect my professional work to the broader impact of pharmacy across patient, industry and advocacy arenas," Squires said. "I will support the NASP efforts to continue this important work with positive and significant outcomes."