NCL thanks NACDS Foundation for $1 million contribution to campaign urging correct medication use – National Consumers League

October 27, 2010

Washington, DC – The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation announced a contribution in the amount of $1 million to the National Consumers League’s (NCL) national campaign to raise consumers’ awareness of the public health benefits of taking medications as prescribed, which is known within healthcare as “medication adherence.”

NCL’s groundbreaking medication adherence awareness campaign includes more than 100 stakeholders from public and private sector advocacy organizations, government agencies, and corporations. It will officially launch in spring of 2011. The NACDS Foundation has been an active participant in campaign planning, which began in 2008 and will continue through this winter.

Medication adherence is a critical issue for improving patient health and reducing healthcare costs. Nearly three out of four Americans fail to take their medications as prescribed, and almost half of Americans suffer with one or more chronic diseases that require medication therapy. Failure to take medication as prescribed is estimated to cost $290 billion annually in increased hospitalizations, doctor and emergency room visits, and factors related to preventable disease progression, according to a July 2009 report by the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI).

With initial planning funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Consumers League is leading the national multi-media effort targeting people with chronic conditions and health care practitioners, with additional intensive outreach in a handful of markets across the country, to alert consumers to the reality of the health and financial costs of not taking medications correctly.

“Poor medication adherence is costing individuals their good health and our nation billions. NACDS Foundation’s generous contribution will help us take the campaign to the next level and make a real difference in consumers’ lives,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “NCL’s long history of successful initiatives helping consumers take medications safely, as well as our proven ability to identify areas of common concern among disparate groups, uniquely qualifies us to lead this campaign.”

“Helping to raise public awareness about the importance of taking prescriptions as prescribed by their doctors is one of our top priorities at the NACDS Foundation, and we are proud to be a major supporter of the campaign,” said Edith A. Rosato, RPh, IOM, President of the NACDS Foundation. “It is vital to public health to chip away at the hurdles preventing consumers from taking medication as prescribed and improving their health and lowering overall healthcare costs. The Foundation looks forward to actively engaging in the campaign and helping to ensure its success.”

To learn more about the campaign, visit www.nclnet.org.

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About National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that serves as the education, research and charitable affiliate of NACDS. The NACDS Foundation seeks to improve the health and wellness of the people in America. It utilizes education, research, and charitable involvement to help people improve their health and quality of life through an understanding of medication therapy and the importance of taking medications appropriately. For more information, please visit www.NACDSFoundation.org.

About National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.