As Election Day fast approaches, a series of upcoming presidential debates will offer an excellent opportunity to gain pivotal insights into the presidential candidates as they face off against one another.

There will be three presidential debates held over the next four weeks leading up to Election Day on November 8, as well as one vice presidential debate. Each debate will be broadcast live on C-SPAN, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, as well as all cable news channels including CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, among others. The debates will air from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET (8 p.m.—9:30 p.m. CT, 7 p.m.—8:30 p.m. MT, 6 p.m.—7:30 p.m. PT).

First presidential debate: Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
Moderator: Lester Holt, anchor, “NBC Nightly News”

Vice presidential debate: Tuesday,Oct. 4, 2016, at Longwood University in Farmville, Va.
Moderator: Elaine Quijano, anchor, CBSN, and CBS News correspondent

Second presidential debate: Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016, at Washington University in St. Louis, Ill.
Moderators: Martha Raddatz, chief global affairs correspondent and co-anchor of ABC’s “This Week,”, and
Anderson Cooper, anchor, CNN

Third presidential debate: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nev.
Moderator: Chris Wallace, anchor, “Fox News Sunday”

Through the #PharmacyVoter effort, NACDS is urging the people of pharmacy to demonstrate their political engagement by learning more about the candidates and volunteering and voting for the candidates of their choice at all levels of government.

NACDS RxIMPACT Votes recently released a new resource that encourages advocates to use their social media platforms to actively encourage their friends and associates with positive, personal messages to get involved, educated about the candidates—and to vote.

The flyer features sample tweets, Instagram posts and Facebook status ideas that advocates can use to show what they’re doing to become a #PharmacyVoter in #Election2016. Tell your followers you are voting and ask them to do the same. Tweet out voter registration deadlines and reminders to vote on November 8th. Share links to candidate lists and ballot initiatives.

Shape tomorrow by voting today!

Leading the industry in mobilizing voters with robust, nonpartisan get-out-the-vote initiatives, NACDS RxIMPACT Votes aims to increase voter registration and political engagement in campaigns. The program does not encourage voting for any particular candidates, rather it focuses on getting voters excited about being part of the election process.

“You give me a date, time and city, and we’ll make it happen.” –Heidi Ecker, NACDS director of government affairs and grassroots programs

NACDS RxIMPACT Votes recently released a new resource which encourages advocates to use their social media platforms to actively encourage their friends and associates with positive, personal messages to get involved, educated about the candidates—and to vote. The flyer features sample tweets, Instagram posts and Facebook status ideas that advocates can use to show what they’re doing to become a #PharmacyVoter in #Election2016. Earlier this year, the program also launched two widely shared  #PharmacyVoter campaign “ads”—Momentum and Effective—which have gotten nearly 140,000 views on YouTube combined.

NACDS’ groundbreaking and highly effective grassroots program NACDS RxIMPACT was also recognized by the association industry publication CEO Update in an article that highlighted the longevity and breadth of the program, which has facilitated more than 500 events and meetings since its inception in 2008. NACDS Director of Government Affairs and Grassroots Programs Heidi Ecker, conveying the proactive nature of the program in the article, said, “You give me a date, time and city, and we’ll make it happen.”

The media attention comes as NACDS RxIMPACT marks the 64th in-district activity of 2016—to date. The program also educates advocates across the country with its NACDS RxIMPACT Training Program, which travelled to Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences in North Carolina and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin this week to illustrate the power grassroots advocacy can have in advancing pro-patient, pro-pharmacy legislative priorities. Immediately following Ecker’s presentation in North Carolina, Bob Cisneros, Ph.D., associate professor at Campbell University, wrote and said, “…thank you so much for a great presentation and for inspiring our students to get involved. Your presentation is super.”

As NACDS RxIMPACT continues to maximize the value of in-district congressional activities, a report from the pharmacy manager, Brandon Martin, PharmD, of Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company, in Ladue, Mo., called a recent pharmacy tour with a field representative for Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), “the best type of legislative visit.”

Thanks for allowing me this opportunity to help advance our profession.

Martin took Wagner’s field representative, Jordan Fears, on a tour of the pharmacy, showing him the array of services the location offers, including precribers, counselors, therapists and the pharmacy. Martin said Fears was engaged and receptive. Martin also briefed him on medication therapy management benefits for patients and NACDS-backed provider status legislation, H.R. 592.

Martin said, “Mr. Fears arrived ready to learn as much as he could about the practice of pharmacy. The visit lasted a little over an hour and it ended with him taking my card and letting me know that he would take me up on being a resource for information on legislation.” He added, “Thanks for allowing me this opportunity to help advance our profession.”

NACDS represents members—by advocating on behalf of the pharmacy community with a resonant, unified voice about the value of pharmacy.

Your engagement is truly essential, especially in an election year.

In order to reach as many members of Congress effectively, it is essential to build and foster relationships with select members of Congress so key pharmacy legislative priorities are on their radar and they understand their importance.

What can you do? Become a part of the growing NACDS RxIMPACT Key Contact program, which exists under a broader NACDS RxIMPACT umbrella and empowers NACDS member company representatives to build relationships with members of Congress to advance pharmacy legislative issues over the long term.

The public policy arena is only getting more competitive. More advocates, representing a wide range of issues, are engaging with Congress to make their views heard. Becoming an NACDS RxIMPACT Key Contact is the first stop on the train of grassroots advocacy and reaching your member of Congress on various pharmacy issues. It’s also a great way great way to get more involved beyond attending NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill, and to build on any relationships you began during the trip to Washington.

Your engagement is truly essential, especially in an election year. Members of Congress that you sign up to engage with, or that you already have a relationship with, are going to be spending a lot of time back in their home districts this summer, which presents many excellent opportunities to connect with members on their home turf for town hall meetings, meet-and-greets, in-district office hours, ribbon cuttings, and pharmacy tours. These kinds of in-district events present great opportunities to join your fellow constituents and directly interact with lawmakers about pharmacy concerns.  It’s also a way to stay in touch with in-district staff members, who are key allies in gaining access to legislators at home, and an often overlooked resource next to their more visible Capitol Hill staff counterparts.

Also upcoming are the Republican and Democratic Conventions in July.  This is definitely a good time to get involved!

Join the NACDS RxIMPACT Key Contact Program today and distinguish yourself as a pharmacy advocate. [ READ MORE ]