University of Maryland students and faculty receive honor from NACDS

ALEXANDRIA , Va. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores honored the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy students and faculty as “Community Pharmacy Great Communicators,” for their efforts in securing funding for the Pharmacy Hall addition.

The students went to Baltimore on Feb. 14 to secure and ensure that they would receive funding for the school’s plan to build a seven-story addition to the north wall of Pharmacy Hall in the University of Maryland. They called for more space for students to study pharmacy as well as allow room for interested student to attend the university without being held back because of room constraints.

The “Community Pharmacy Great Communicator” program was created in 2007 to honor and recognize leaders who spoke out, and made an effort in the improvement or advancement of Pharmacy. The students’ award represents the fifth time the award has been given out and the first time it was given to a specific group of people.

“In congratulating you today, I also make a plea: ensure that your recent actions indicate a career-long commitment to advocacy,” said NACDS president and chief executive officer, Steve Anderson. “You know you will make a difference in the lives of patients. I hope you also know you can make a difference in the decisions of government officials. Shaping these decisions is essential, because public policy can devastate a profession and a business, or foster their ability to improve peoples’ lives. Advocacy is not an interruption of a pharmacist’s primary duties, but rather makes them possible.”