NCPDP to Celebrate 35th Anniversary at Its 2012 Annual Conference

SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire -03/21/12)- In its 35th year, the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) will celebrate the transformation of the business of pharmacy and improvements in patient safety and care at its 2012 Annual Technology & Business Conference. The conference, which will be held May 6-10, 2012 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, is packed with a full agenda of educational sessions, work group meetings and networking opportunities. Attendees represent virtually all healthcare segments involved in delivering pharmacy services, including prescribers, pharmacists, pharmacy benefit management companies, government agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, long term care vendors and providers, database management organizations, healthcare consultants, wholesale drug distributors and more.

Keep up on the latest issues and innovations Take advantage of accredited educational sessions on topics such as: Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA), Drug Pricing, Health Information Exchange (HIE), Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Market Trends, ePrescribing Controlled Substances, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), Patient Safety, and Privacy. NCPDP will apply for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for the Health IT Certification CPHIE, CPHIT and CPEHR programs. NCPDP will also apply for CEUs for pharmacists from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

Make a difference in the delivery of pharmacy servicesParticipation in NCPDP work groups is a way to represent your business and have an impact on the delivery of pharmacy services and improving patient safety and care. Work groups include: Telecommunication; Product Identification; Standard Identifiers; Manufacturer Rebates; Government Programs; Professional Pharmacy Services; ePrescribing and Related Transactions; Long Term Care and Post Acute Care; Property and Casualty/Workers' Compensation; Pharmaceutical Pedigree and Traceability; External Standards Assessment, Harmonization and Implementation Guidance; and Maintenance and Control.

Catch-up with contacts and make new connectionsWhether this is your first year attending or your 35th, take advantage of networking opportunities throughout the conference -- including receptions, annual theme party, NCPDP Corporate Cup Golf Challenge, and exhibit hall -- to expand your network of contacts and optimize your conference experience.

"The industry-wide transformation that began 35 years ago and continues to pave the way for the future of healthcare is a credit to the foresight and dedication of our members and leadership," explained Lee Ann Stember, President of NCPDP. "We are proud to serve as the model forum for addressing industry challenges and developing solutions and standards that protect patient safety, and leverage technology to improve the quality of care and lower costs."

The NCPDP 2012 Annual Technology & Business Conference is open to NCPDP members and the media. Annual memberships are processed daily and available to all parties affected by the prescription drug industry. To view member benefits or to become a member, visit http://ncpdp.org/member_benefits.aspx. For more information or to register for the conference, visit http://www.ncpdp.org/meetings_ac.aspx.

The complimentary media registration form can be downloaded here. For real-time updates before and during the event, follow us at http://twitter.com/ncpdp or join the discussion using NCPDP's 2012 Annual Technology & Business Conference hashtag: #NCPDP12.

About NCPDP Founded in 1977, NCPDP is a not-for-profit, ANSI-accredited, Standards Development Organization with over 1,600 members representing virtually every sector of the pharmacy services industry. Our diverse membership provides leadership and healthcare business solutions through education and standards, created using the consensus building process. NCPDP has been named in federal legislation, including HIPAA, MMA, HITECH and Meaningful Use (MU) requirements. NCPDP members have created standards such as the Telecommunication Standard and Batch Standard, the SCRIPT Standard for e-Prescribing, the Manufacturers Rebate Standard and more to improve communication within the pharmacy industry. Our data products include dataQ, a robust database of information on more than 75,000 pharmacies, and HCIdea, a database of continually updated information on more than 2 million prescribers. NCPDP's RxReconn is a legislative tracking product for real-time monitoring of pharmacy-related state and national legislative and regulatory activity. For more information about NCPDP Standards, Products, Educational Programs and Work Group meetings, go online at http://www.ncpdp.org or call (480) 477-1000.

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NCPDP to Celebrate 35th Anniversary at Its 2012 Annual Conference