VALDOSTA — Local pharmacist Hugh Chancy of Chancy Drugs participated in the National Community Pharmacists Association’s Steering Committee Forum. The annual two-day event in Alexandria, Va. is dedicated to wide-ranging, in-depth discussions of the role independent community pharmacies play in health care and how to best position them for the future. He was among 80 pharmacy professionals and student pharmacists who worked with NCPA staff to develop new initiatives that support independent community pharmacies and their patients for the coming year.

In communities across the nation, independent community pharmacies are a vital resource for patients. The evolving pharmacy marketplace — characterized by more and more Americans seeking prescription drug services; the government’s growing role as both a regulator and major purchaser of health care services; competition from mail order pharmacy companies; and technological advances — all ensure that the future viability of independent community pharmacies is predicated on their ability adapt.

There are six committees dedicated to addressing specific aspects of the challenges community pharmacies face on a daily basis, and how those issues impact the patients they serve. The committees are compounding; long-term care; emerging models; state legislation and regulatory affairs; national legislation and government affairs and technology.

On April 8-9, each committee met and was presented with the results of a recently completed NCPA Member Priority Survey. Then the committees identified areas where they would work with staff over the coming year and created a timeline of goals and expectations based on the committee area of interest.