You are invited to support the ACCP Political Action Committee (ACCP-PAC)
In 2010, ACCP launched a Political Action Committee (PAC) to help elect candidates to Congress who understand the value of clinical pharmacists on the health care team and who will be champions of pharmacists and their patients.
All ACCP members are encouraged to contribute to the PAC. To make a donation, please visit our Web site: www.accpaction.org
(Please note that, to comply with Federal Election Commission [FEC] regulations, we require you to log in to the PAC Web site using your ACCP login and password. ACCP can only solicit contributions from ACCP members—our “solicitable class.”)
ACCP-PAC Overview
ACCP opened its Washington office in 2000 so that the College could be actively invested in advocacy and government affairs efforts. During the past decade, ACCP has expanded its Washington staff, launched the ACCP/ASHP/VCU Health Care Policy Fellow program, and developed its grassroots capabilities through the ACCP advocates.
ACCP is confident that this investment is worthwhile. It has allowed the College to significantly raise its profile in Washington and to participate actively in efforts such as the Pharmacy Stakeholders Coalition, which helped secure the clinical pharmacy provisions included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) signed into law by President Obama.
The College’s advocacy efforts—direct lobbying and grassroots action—have yielded significant progress, as evidenced by the recognition of pharmacists’ valued contributions to the patient care team.
However, as the focus of the health care reform implementation process moves away from Capitol Hill and into federal agencies and communities across the country, the College must further expand its advocacy capabilities to help ensure the success of the programs already authorized by the recently enacted health care reform law and help expand these programs moving forward.
ACCP’s 2007 Strategic Plan called for an examination of the feasibility and value of establishing an ACCP-PAC. On the basis of research conducted by staff and outreach to ACCP membership, the ACCP Board of Regents approved the establishment of a PAC to support and advance ACCP’s advocacy agenda in Washington, D.C.
ACCP’s 2010 Strategic Plan continues this focus on political advocacy, calling on the College to develop, advance, and position clinical pharmacists within the current health care environment.
What Is a PAC?
A PAC is a legally defined entity organized to help elect political candidates. PACs must report all financial activities, including direct donations and other expenses, to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which makes the reports available to the public. A PAC enables ACCP members to combine their political contributions and endorse candidates who support ACCP issues. Created because of campaign finance reform in the 1970s, PACs are the most transparent and rigorously regulated form of political contribution.
Why Support the ACCP-PAC?
One of the biggest hurdles a candidate must overcome when seeking elected office is the cost of mounting a campaign. Television commercials, campaign literature, pollsters, and political consultants are all necessary, but expensive, campaign investments.
As a result, elected officials depend on organizations like the ACCP-PAC for financial support as much as they depend on ACCP’s professional expertise and input in the legislative and policy arenas. Although no official connection exists between policy outcomes and political contributions, a PAC can increase the College’s visibility on Capitol Hill and strengthen its relationships with congressional leaders.
ACCP covers all the administrative expenses associated with operating the PAC, so all donations go directly to support pro-clinical pharmacy candidates.
The ACCP-PAC Governing Council
The ACCP-PAC is directed by the PAC Governing Council. The founding ACCP-PAC Governing Council consists of the following ACCP members:
Chair: Leigh Ann Ross, Pharm.D., BCPS
Treasurer: Gary R. Matzke, Pharm.D., FCP, FCCP, FASN, FNAP
Secretary: Michael S. Maddux, Pharm.D., FCCP
Member: Anna Legreid Dopp, Pharm.D.
Member: Terry Seaton, Pharm.D., BCPS (Board of Regents Liaison)
Member (ex officio): John McGlew
The ACCP-PAC Governing Council provides oversight and strategic leadership for ACCP-PAC operations.
How You Can Contribute
Contribute to the ACCP-PAC online: www.accpaction.org/donate/index.aspx
Or, simply print the following form to make a contribution by mail or fax: www.accpaction.org/styles/PAC%20Contribution%20Form.pdf
Please Send Your ACCP-PAC Contributions to:
American College of Clinical Pharmacy Political Action Committee
13000 W. 87th Street Parkway
Lenexa, KS 66215-4530
Fax: (913) 492-0088
How Much Should You Contribute?
Although all donations are gratefully accepted, we suggest that you contribute at one of the levels below:
Presidential Club: $1,000+
Regents Club: $500
Directors Club: $250
Advocates Club: $100
Other: $___
For more information, please contact ACCP’s Associate Director, Government Affairs at (202) 621-1820 or [email protected]
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Who Can Contribute to the ACCP-PAC?
The ACCP-PAC can only solicit contributions from ACCP members. All contributions must be personal, not corporate. As a result, we cannot accept contributions from institutions, organizations, chapters, PRNs, or other similar entities.
How Much Can an ACCP Member Contribute to the PAC?
$5,000 annually. ACCP will cover all the administrative expenses associated with operating the PAC, so all donations go directly to support pro-clinical pharmacy candidates.
How Much Can the ACCP-PAC Contribute to a Candidate?
Up to $5,000 per candidate, per election ($10,000 per election cycle—$5K for the primary election and $5K for the general election)
Are PAC Contributions Tax Deductible?
No. Contributions to the ACCP-PAC are not deductible as charitable for federal tax purposes; they must be made by personal funds and/or post-tax dollars.
Is the ACCP-PAC Partisan?
No. The ACCP-PAC contributes to candidates who understand and support our issues, regardless of their political party affiliation.
Can You Recommend a Candidate to Receive a PAC Contribution?
Only ACCP-PAC contributors may recommend candidates to receive contributions. All PAC contributor recommendations will be considered; however, the PAC may not accommodate all requests. The ACCP-PAC Governing Council must approve all candidate contributions.
Other Legal Considerations
ACCP-PAC funds are used to support candidates for the U.S. Congress who support clinical pharmacists and their patients. Federal election law prohibits the ACCP-PAC from soliciting contributions from individuals outside the restricted class. Any contributions received from outside the restricted class will be returned. Federal law also requires the ACCP-PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and employer name of the individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.
ACCP Action Alert! Urge Congress to Support the Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act (S. 296)
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Robert Casey (D-Pa.) have introduced S. 296, the Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act.
The legislation directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address drug shortages by requiring drug manufacturers to notify this federal agency about manufacturing problems or a drug product that will be discontinued. This legislation also requires the agency to maintain an online list of drugs in shortage situations and revises the FDA’s definition of medically necessary.
Manufacturer Reporting
The bill would require manufacturers to notify the FDA of any discontinuance, interruption, or adjustment in the manufacture of a drug that might result in a shortage.
If the manufacturer plans to discontinue the drug, the manufacturer must notify the FDA at least 6 months in advance.
For other disruptions in manufacturing attributable to the supply of raw materials, disruptions in the supply chain, output changes, and other problems identified by the FDA, notification will be required as soon as the manufacturer becomes aware of the problem.
The FDA will then be required to promulgate regulations establishing penalties for non-compliance with the reporting requirement.
Public Notification by the FDA
The bill would also require the FDA to publish information related to manufacturing problems and drugs experiencing an actual shortage on its Web site.
Develop Criteria for Drugs Vulnerable to Shortage
The bill would require the FDA to implement evidence-based criteria for identifying drugs vulnerable to a shortage. Such identification of drugs would be based on factors such as:
- number of manufacturers
- sources of raw material or active pharmaceutical ingredients
- supply chain characteristics
- availability of therapeutic alternatives
If the FDA can determine, on the basis of the above criteria, that a drug is vulnerable to a shortage, the agency will have to publish that information on its Web site.
Furthermore, for drugs deemed vulnerable to a shortage and medically necessary, the FDA will collaborate with manufacturers to establish continuity-of-operations plans to address drug shortages.
Revise Medically Necessary Definition
The bill would require the FDA to revise the definition of medically necessary to include the prevalence of the use of a drug as a factor in determining whether the drug is medically necessary.
Take Action!
Click here to send a letter to Congress, urging the passage of S. 296, which would provide the FDA with tools to better manage—and prevent—shortages of life-saving medications.
For more information, please contact ACCP’s Associate Director, Government Affairs at (202) 621-1820 or [email protected].