Nation's Chain Pharmacies Join as Premiere Partner With America's Promise - Alliance for Youth Program

    PHOENIX, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the industry's most ambitious
 charitable campaign ever, America's chain drugstores have joined as partners
 of America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth to develop "Pharmacies of
 Promise" across the nation.
     Over a three-year period, the chain pharmacy industry will establish
 "Pharmacies of Promise" in every state as part of a national campaign to help
 America's youth. Participating pharmacies will develop tutoring and mentoring
 programs, sponsor internships for students, provide health care services and
 information, and promote health insurance programs for uninsured children.
     "Our nation's chain pharmacies are joining in this commitment as another
 way to give back to the communities they serve," said NACDS President Craig
 Fuller, who today kicked-off the three-year partnership at an Osco pharmacy
 here. In addition to announcing the program's scope, Fuller also presented a
 check for $100,000 to America's Promise officials from the NACDS Charitable
 Foundation.
     "We will create "Pharmacies of Promise" in communities across America as
 part of this industry's commitment to the health and welfare of our
 neighborhoods and our children," Fuller said.
     Already, several major chain companies operating nearly 16,000
 neighborhood pharmacies have indicated they will develop healthy start
 campaigns for young children, and tutoring and internship programs for junior
 and senior high school students.
     NACDS has pledged at least $300,000 over three years in support of
 America's Promise, and will expand that commitment through the contributions
 and volunteer efforts of its member chain pharmacies and their employees.
 NACDS also will seek to develop partnerships with its nearly 1,400 associate
 member companies which supply goods and services to the industry.
     "Community pharmacies are a crucial health care resource serving American
 families," Fuller said. "Our chain pharmacies each year commit millions of
 dollars and countless volunteer hours to local charitable organizations and
 community groups."
     The America's Promise campaign will significantly expand this commitment
 with an industry-wide effort to provide health care services, information and
 support to families in communities across the nation.
 
     The Pharmacies of Promise campaign has two components:
 
     *  The Promising Start initiative focusing on the needs of children and
        young families with community outreach programs health information
        services.
 
     *  The Future Pharmacists of America campaign to expose students to career
        opportunities in community pharmacy. The initiative includes "mini-
        internships" and scholarships for promising students.
 
     Pharmacies of Promise also will help kick off in August a national
 campaign to enroll eligible children in SCHIP, the State Children's Health
 Insurance Program. The SCHIP provides health insurance to children in families
 without insurance and who do not qualify for Medicaid or other assistance.
     NACDS will administer the industry's Pharmacies of Promise program from
 its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. There, NACDS has adopted a local
 chapter of the Boys and Girls Club, is establishing a tutoring program and is
 designing internships and educational opportunities for local youth.
 
     America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth, led by General Colin Powell,
 is dedicated to mobilizing the nation's finest groups and organizations,
 representing every sector of American life, to build and strengthen the
 character and competence of our youth.
 
     Founded in 1933 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, the National
 Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) membership consists of over 170
 retail chain community pharmacy companies. Collectively, chain community
 pharmacy comprises the largest component of pharmacy practice with over 94,000
 pharmacists. The chain community pharmacy industry is comprised of more than
 20,000 traditional chain drug stores, 7,800 supermarket pharmacies and 5,300
 mass merchant pharmacies. The NACDS membership base operates over 33,000
 retail community pharmacies with annual sales totaling over $400 billion,
 including $160 billion in sales for prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC)
 medications and health and beauty aids (HBA). Chain operated community retail
 pharmacies fill over 60% of 3 billion prescriptions dispensed annually in the
 United States.  Additionally, NACDS membership includes nearly 1,400 suppliers
 of goods and services to chain community pharmacies. NACDS international
 membership has grown to include 119 members from 30 foreign countries.  For
 more information about NACDS visit http://www.nacds.org .
 
 

SOURCE  National Association of Chain Drug Stores

    PHOENIX, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the industry's most ambitious
 charitable campaign ever, America's chain drugstores have joined as partners
 of America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth to develop "Pharmacies of
 Promise" across the nation.
     Over a three-year period, the chain pharmacy industry will establish
 "Pharmacies of Promise" in every state as part of a national campaign to help
 America's youth. Participating pharmacies will develop tutoring and mentoring
 programs, sponsor internships for students, provide health care services and
 information, and promote health insurance programs for uninsured children.
     "Our nation's chain pharmacies are joining in this commitment as another
 way to give back to the communities they serve," said NACDS President Craig
 Fuller, who today kicked-off the three-year partnership at an Osco pharmacy
 here. In addition to announcing the program's scope, Fuller also presented a
 check for $100,000 to America's Promise officials from the NACDS Charitable
 Foundation.
     "We will create "Pharmacies of Promise" in communities across America as
 part of this industry's commitment to the health and welfare of our
 neighborhoods and our children," Fuller said.
     Already, several major chain companies operating nearly 16,000
 neighborhood pharmacies have indicated they will develop healthy start
 campaigns for young children, and tutoring and internship programs for junior
 and senior high school students.
     NACDS has pledged at least $300,000 over three years in support of
 America's Promise, and will expand that commitment through the contributions
 and volunteer efforts of its member chain pharmacies and their employees.
 NACDS also will seek to develop partnerships with its nearly 1,400 associate
 member companies which supply goods and services to the industry.
     "Community pharmacies are a crucial health care resource serving American
 families," Fuller said. "Our chain pharmacies each year commit millions of
 dollars and countless volunteer hours to local charitable organizations and
 community groups."
     The America's Promise campaign will significantly expand this commitment
 with an industry-wide effort to provide health care services, information and
 support to families in communities across the nation.
 
     The Pharmacies of Promise campaign has two components:
 
     *  The Promising Start initiative focusing on the needs of children and
        young families with community outreach programs health information
        services.
 
     *  The Future Pharmacists of America campaign to expose students to career
        opportunities in community pharmacy. The initiative includes "mini-
        internships" and scholarships for promising students.
 
     Pharmacies of Promise also will help kick off in August a national
 campaign to enroll eligible children in SCHIP, the State Children's Health
 Insurance Program. The SCHIP provides health insurance to children in families
 without insurance and who do not qualify for Medicaid or other assistance.
     NACDS will administer the industry's Pharmacies of Promise program from
 its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. There, NACDS has adopted a local
 chapter of the Boys and Girls Club, is establishing a tutoring program and is
 designing internships and educational opportunities for local youth.
 
     America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth, led by General Colin Powell,
 is dedicated to mobilizing the nation's finest groups and organizations,
 representing every sector of American life, to build and strengthen the
 character and competence of our youth.
 
     Founded in 1933 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, the National
 Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) membership consists of over 170
 retail chain community pharmacy companies. Collectively, chain community
 pharmacy comprises the largest component of pharmacy practice with over 94,000
 pharmacists. The chain community pharmacy industry is comprised of more than
 20,000 traditional chain drug stores, 7,800 supermarket pharmacies and 5,300
 mass merchant pharmacies. The NACDS membership base operates over 33,000
 retail community pharmacies with annual sales totaling over $400 billion,
 including $160 billion in sales for prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC)
 medications and health and beauty aids (HBA). Chain operated community retail
 pharmacies fill over 60% of 3 billion prescriptions dispensed annually in the
 United States.  Additionally, NACDS membership includes nearly 1,400 suppliers
 of goods and services to chain community pharmacies. NACDS international
 membership has grown to include 119 members from 30 foreign countries.  For
 more information about NACDS visit http://www.nacds.org .
 
 SOURCE  National Association of Chain Drug Stores