NASP Leaders Visit with Congress

Taking its political advocacy efforts to the next level, NASP board members and leaders visited Congress on February 24. During its inaugural “Capitol Hill Fly-In” event, NASP members met with nearly 50 congressional offices, including several key committees that are instrumental in shaping U.S. health policy.

Top NASP leaders participating in the meeting included:

Burt Zweigenhaft (NASP President), LindenCare

Rebecca Shanahan (NASP President-Elect), Avella Specialty Pharmacy

Erik Halstrom (NASP Secretary), Managed Health Care Associates, Inc.

Mike Ellis, RPh (NASP Immediate Past President), Walgreens

Mike Agostino (Board), Hy-Vee Health Solutions

Chris Ariyan, (Board), Pfizer

Thomas Blissenbach (Board), Fairview Pharmacy Services

Carmine DeNardo, (Board), ReCept Specialty Pharmacy

Mark Montgomery (Board), Axium Healthcare Pharmacy

Nuaman Tyyeb (Board) CareMed Specialty Pharmacy

Mark Vineis (Board), OncoSourceRx at Cardinal Health

Dave Walker (Board), Wal-Mart

Sheila Arquette (Co-Chair, NASP Government Affairs Committee), Independent Health

Wayne Grau, (Co-Chair, NASP Government Affairs Committee), Managed Healthcare Associates

Caleb Desrosiers, CareMed

Shara Siegle, Innovatix

Kathleen Streaker, Managed Healthcare Associates

Adrian Walker, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy

Aaron Weise, Amber Specialty Pharmacy

NASP President Burt Zweigenhaft, BS, Chief Operating Officer Robert A. Fulcher, CAE and other members of the NASP Board met with dozens of key Congressional offices, including senior staff members from Senator Kristen Gillibrand’s (D-NY) office during the recent Capitol Hill Fly-in Day event.

While each of those participating had their own individual schedule of meetings, several group meetings were also organized with key congressional committees. Board members met with the staff Director for the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over legislation related to Medicare’s prescription drug benefit, as well as the Medicare hospital program. The Board also met with top staffers for the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which oversees the Food and Drug Administration’s drug approval and research programs, and key aspects of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, an important meeting was held with the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which is conducting a series of hearings on pricing and competition in the prescription drug market.