NCL disappointed in Congress school lunch nutrition standards debate – National Consumers League

May 29, 2014

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League,  benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, D.C.—Today the House Appropriations Committee voted to weaken nutrition standards required by the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.The waiver exempts schools that claim to be facing economic challenges from complying with reduced sodium and increased whole grain requirements.Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has warned that the proposed waiver is likely to become permanent should it be included in the final 2015 spending bill for the Agriculture Department.  

The National Consumers League, long time advocates for children’s health and nutrition, opposes this ill-conceived proposal.  “Now is not the time to undermine improved nutrition standards for children in school.Playing politics with the future of our nation’s health is wrong. We need to provide students, especially those that are the most dependent on school-provided meals, with wholesome, healthy foods,”NCL’s Executive Director, Sally Greenberg, stated.

As First Lady Michelle Obama points out in her New York Times Op-Ed today, one in three children in America today is overweight or obese and one in three will likely develop diabetes in her or his lifetime. The 2010 Act was a great leap forward.  For the first time, our nation committed to improving standards for what foods could be served in schools.Ninety percent of schools report they are meeting the new standards. As a result, kids are getting more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods.

In addition, the bill addresses the need for new lunchroom equipment, cafeteria staff training and nutrition education for students. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be overweight or obese into adulthood, increasing their risk for a myriad of health issues not limited to cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

###

About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Political battles have no place in our schools’ cafeterias – National Consumers League

92_kelsey.jpgWhen you think of controversial policies, school lunch isn’t the first thing that should come to mind. As a nation fighting a childhood obesity epidemic, school lunches play an important role in getting us back on track. Schools provide one, and sometimes two, of the three meals kids eat each day, packing the biggest punch for kids who depend on these meals for nourishment. How can we justify serving anything but wholesome, nutritious food when that is the case?

The House Appropriations Committee begs to differ.  Tomorrow they are expected to approve a 2015 spending bill for the Agriculture Department granting a waiver from nutrition standards required by the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.  The requirements set limits on sodium and substitute whole grain foods for those that are not.  The Senate Appropriation Committee’s bill does not include the waiver setting this up to be a drawn out fight.

Tuesday, Michelle Obama came out strongly opposing the House Republican led attempts to scale back healthier school lunch standards saying we can’t afford to play politics with nutrition standards. Prior to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, there were no standards for what could be served in schools. Hiring criteria for food service personnel and annual nutrition education training as well as grants for upgrading kitchen equipment and providing farm to school education to students are a few of the major proponents of the original bill.

The School Nutrition Association, an industry backed trade association representing cafeteria administrators, argues the new requirements are unduly expensive and lead to food being wasted by students.  Since issuing their statement in opposition of the regulations, nineteen former presidents of the School Nutrition Association have publicly opposed the group’s platform and urged Congress to keep the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act regulations intact. As Michelle Obama said, “ the last think we can afford to do right now is play politics with our kids’ health.”

Summer grill season is here! Think American union-made – National Consumers League

With the unofficial start of summer right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about firing up the grill and looking forward to our favorite summer foods. This summer, make your grocery shopping mean more than just great food and support good paying American jobs. As a consumer, you can support the actions of thousands of hard working Americans by buying American-made products and union-made products. 

Check out the list below and try to serve some union-made treats this Memorial Day weekend and all summer.

Untitled

Text MADE to 235246 for more union-made-in-America product lists.
Our list comes courtesy of Union Plus, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor’s website Labor 411.

Raw milk is a raw deal for consumers – National Consumers League

NCL has recently signed onto a consumer group letter opposing two shocking federal bills introduced to weaken restrictions on the sale of raw milk. Raw milk – milk that hasn’t been pasteurized to kill dangerous bacteria – can kill you. NCL’s first leader, Florence Kelley, watched children get sick and die from raw milk. She was disconsolate that states were slow to require pasteurization, Louis Pasteur’s great discovery that heating milk kills pathogens.

(Pasteur also developed the rabies vaccine.) Heating milk to 161 degrees for 15 seconds, known as flash pasteurization, is all it takes to make milk safe.

The ignorance of those who champion the so-called benefits of raw milk is astounding. Its one thing if an adult wants to consume raw milk, but parents feed raw milk to their children putting their kids’ lives at risk.  The CDC reported in 2012 that unpasteurized products are 150 times more likely to cause food borne illnesses than pasteurized versions.

One of the federal bills would end the interstate ban on raw milk sales and the second would allow interstate transport between states where raw milk is legally sold. There are 40 bills to allow raw milk sales at the state level.

Bill Marler is a food lawyer in Seattle who has handled two-dozen cases involving illnesses from raw milk consumption in children or the elderly.  “It’s a high risk product and in most cases, I’m representing the most vulnerable in society,” Marler said.

In November, five-year-old Maddie Powell was one of nine children in her family, all younger than seven, who were sickened by E. coli from raw milk. Maddie, along with two of the other children, developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially fatal kidney disease that is known to coincide with E. coli infections. After this frightening and costly experience, Maddie’s mother said they would not return to drinking raw milk.

Why in the world would any parent knowingly subject their child to such a dangerous product to begin with? Because raw milk advocates are peddling a message that their product has health benefits superior to pasteurized milk. Nothing could be more misguided. We hope these federal bills will generate an informed discussion that will demonstrate the folly of consuming raw milk.

When it comes to GMOs, how much do we really know? – National Consumers League

kelseyJust last week, Vermont took the initiative to pass a state bill requiring GMO labeling. While Connecticut and Maine have also each passed GMO labeling acts, that legislation will only go into effect once a certain number of other states have passed similar labeling requirements. Vermont’s law won’t go into effect for two years — and only if lawsuit doesn’t knock it down first!

State legislators expect pushback from major genetically engineered seed producers, like Monsanto. An extra $1.5 million legal fund was added into the legislation to help cover any costs a lawsuit may incur in court.

gmoThe recent GMO labeling buzz has got me thinking. What do we, as a nation, really know about GMOs? Turns out we know surprisingly little. Only 26 percent of consumers believe that they have eaten genetically modified foods and 60 percent believe they haven’t. For anyone who has taken the time to research this issue, they would know that it is incredibly unlikely that someone has never eaten genetically modified foods. Ten years ago in 2004, 85 percent of soybeans and 45 percent of corn grown in the U.S. were genetically modified. It is very likely that these numbers have only grown since then. What I find most disturbing is that among consumers who claimed to know the most about GM foods, 43 percent still thought that they had never eaten any GMOs.

If we as a nation are so uneducated about how much of our food is genetically modified then it is a good idea that GM foods be labeled as such. The sheer volume of GM foods in this country might disturb some consumers and lead to self-education about GMOs. Some consumers might conclude that they aren’t as detrimental as some anti-GMO activists make them out to be. Many argue these modified foods have the capacity to feed the ever-growing, ever-hungry population of this planet.

What’s more, I doubt that consumer habits will greatly change based on GMO labeling.  The people who are passionately anti-GMO likely know which foods contain GMOs already and avoid them. The people who don’t care, well they might not even notice the labels, and those that are curious might read up on genetic modification and learn more about what genetically modified really means. It is important that food producers include robust labels on their products so consumers know exactly what they are eating. For this reason, labeling food that contains GMOs is the right decision for consumers.

Target CEO is out – National Consumers League

This week, the CEO of Target, Gregg Steinhafel, resigned. He was unable to recover from the damage caused by a massive data breach at the company – which happened right in the middle of the holiday shopping season last year. Last December, Target announced that 40 million customers’ credit and debit cards and personal information had been compromised.  Steinhafel was with the company for 35 years.

Target’s experience is a cautionary tale for corporate leadership. The company was slow to respond to the panic that set in when consumers learned their card information had been compromised. I remember reading the advisory the company posted in December telling consumers all the things they had to do to protect themselves. There was precious little the company shared with its valued customer base – many of whom were Target credit card holders  – about what it intended to do to protect customers after the breach and into the future.

NCL issued a statement after the breach calling on retailers in the US to get with the program and adopt a more secure credit card system of Chip-and-PIN. That protocol is used widely in Europe and is less vulnerable to hacking at the point of sale. Criminals are busy 24/7 figuring out how to hack into retailer databases. We need to fight fire with fire. American consumers deserve the best protection for our financial transactions that the industry has to offer. Companies that don’t adopt these protections will find themselves much like Target  – losing customers’ trust and their business along with it.

NCL expresses grave concern over fate of kidnapped Nigerian girls – National Consumers League

May 14, 2014

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer organization with a history of opposing the exploitation of children, urges Nigeria and the world community to secure the return of the 276 missing school girls, kidnapped by Boko Haram, an Islamic rebel group in Nigeria April 14-15. “Boko Haram” translated means “Western education is sin” and the group subscribes to the theory that girls should not be educated. “This is an international human rights crisis of the utmost urgency,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s executive director and co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition (CLC).

Earlier this month, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau threatened to sell the girls as slaves for as little as $12 each. According to Amnesty International, Boko Haram militants massacred more than 200 in Nigeria earlier this month. The mass kidnapping was the culmination of years of terror attacks.

“As the co-chair and co-founder of 25-year-old of CLC, NCL knows only too well the dangers these girls face,” noted Reid Maki, NCL’s director of child labor advocacy. “Around the world, thousands of girls are taken by armed groups and are subjected to being trafficked or enslaved as sex workers and domestic servants. The longer these girls remain under the control of Boko Haram, the greater the risk.”

Recently, Nigeria said it had deployed two army divisions to hunt for the girls. Several nations including the United States, Britain, Israel, and France have offered to help or send experts.

Boko Haram maintains that it will not release the girls until its militant detainees are released. Nigerian officials are reluctant to do so for many reasons, including the fear that it will lead to more kidnappings in the future.

“We must collectively keep up the greatest pressure on Nigeria and the international community to do everything possible to bring these girls back,” said Maki. “More than a million people have tweeted #BringBackOurGirls. More than 900,000 have signed an online petition urging the return of the girls. These may be simple gestures, but collectively they are exerting pressure to do everything possible to bring the girls back.”

“We applaud President Obama and the First Lady for speaking out on this issue,” said NCL’s Greenberg.

“Around the world, more than 65 million girls are not in school,” noted the First Lady.“Education is truly a girl’s best chance for a bright future, not just for herself but for her family and her nation.”

“The Nigerian girls are my sisters,” said Malala Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt after she dared to go to school. The Malala Fund, which raises money for girls’ education initiatives around the world has launched a Nigerian girls education campaign to support Nigerian organizations which are working to promote girls’ schooling around the country.

The Nigerian government has also committed an additional $10 million.

“This tragedy is a painful reminder that girls face many obstacles to their education and much work needs to be done to protect them and their access to schools,” said Maki.

###

About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on Cosi – National Consumers League

May 14, 2014

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League,  benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League and Cosi recognize the importance of a strong focus on nutritional content in restaurant menu offerings. In that vein, NCL is pleased to announce Così’s support for NCL’s nutrition awareness campaign. Così has agreed to continue its commitment to consumers and nutrition awareness and is now providing additional information on its website about the total multi grain content in its flat bread. To further demonstrate its commitment to our community, Così will also help the City’s needy by making donations of food to the Capital Area Food Bank. NCL thanks Così for working with our organization and its support of NCL’s mission.

###

About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Announcing the #DataInsecurity Project – National Consumers League

Last December, millions of consumers busily rang up more than $600 billion in holiday purchases. Unfortunately, hackers were also having a field day — at consumers’ expense. We learned that lax security procedures combined with an insecure payment mechanism resulted in as many as 110 million shoppers at retail giant Target having their personal information compromised.

Security researcher Brian Krebs, who first broke the story of the Target breach, recently published a startling set of numbers that demonstrates the impact of this one incident. They include:

  • $200 million – The cost to credit unions and community banks for reissuing 21.8 million credit and debit cards;
  • $18-35.70 – The media price range per card stolen from Target and resold on the black market in the months after the breach;
  • 1-3 million – The estimated number of cards stolen in the Target breach that were sold on the black market and successfully used to commit fraud;
  • $53.7 million – The estimated income that hackers generated from the sale of 2 million cards stolen from Target (at a median price of $18-35.70); and
  • $55 million – The size of outgoing Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel’s golden parachute.

Sobering as these numbers are, they represent the fallout from a single data breach, albeit a massive one. In 2013, the Verizon RISK team reported more than 1,300 data breaches. The non-profit Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, which tracks data breaches, reported that more than 257 million records were compromised last year as well. A recent study by the Ponemon Institute found that the average total cost of a data breach in the U.S. is $5.85 million per incident. The probability that a U.S.-based organization will experience a breach of at least 10,000 records in the next 2 years is 18.7 percent, according to the Ponemon study.

By 2020, annual global data production is expected to hit 35 zettabytes, (or 35 trillion gigabytes). This data explosion will power unfathomable changes to consumers’ daily lives. However, the existence of that much data – much of it personal and very valuable to malicious actors – demands stronger security practices. Federal agencies like the FTC are doing yeoman’s work to hold companies to account for lax data security. But the FTC’s authority in this area is in question in the courts, and case-by-case adjudication is unlikely to sufficiently address the larger problem. Organizations like the National Institutes of Standards and Technology have developed voluntary frameworks for cybersecurity, but companies and other entities are not compelled by law to adopt it. Standards bodies like the PCI Security Standards Council have industry backing, but they are sector-specific.

While no one can wave a magic wand and solve the problem of data security, more can and should be done in Congress to give enforcement agencies the tools they need to protect consumer data and prod industry to make data security a top priority.

That is why we are announcing today the launch of the NCL #DataInsecurity Project. We are calling on policymakers in Congress, federal agencies and the states to be champions for data security. For too long, policy inertia has prevented meaningful reform on Capitol Hill and elsewhere that would better protect consumers’ data. There are a number of promising bills currently pending in Congress, but more can and must be done. Pro-consumer steps to enhance data security include:

  • Creating a national data breach notification standard, modeled on strong state protections such as California’s;
  • Requiring businesses that maintain consumers’ personal data to protect that information via specific data security requirements;
  • Giving the Federal Trade Commission and state Attorneys General civil penalty authority to enforce violations of data security requirements;
  • Increasing civil and criminal penalties for malicious hacking;
  • Increasing efforts to enhance cooperation with international partners to bring overseas hackers to justice;
  • Requiring retailers and banks to implement the highest level of security available to protect consumers’ payment data

In an era when vast amounts of data are being collected about them, consumers must have confidence that their information is safe. The Target breach was a wake-up call. We can no longer sit idly by while sophisticated hackers steal with impunity and businesses accept the status quo as just another cost of doing business. The time for reform is now.

National medication adherence campaign honors student leaders in multi-profession challenge – National Consumers League

May 12, 2014

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League, benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC — Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) and its partners announced the winners of the third annual Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge for health profession students. This month-long competition engaged students and faculty across health care disciplines in developing creative ideas for raising awareness about a critical public health issue: medication adherence. This year’s awardees are: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Touro University California College of Pharmacy, Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy, and University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Pharmacy.

The 2014 Medication Adherence Team Challenge is part of the national Script Your Future public awareness campaign coordinated by NCL. The campaign includes more than 135 public and private stakeholder organizations, including Challenge sponsors—the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

“This was the second year we challenged students to work in collaborative teams of future health professionals who interact with patients—the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and others,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “This more comprehensive approach will ultimately result in patients hearing from multiple voices encouraging them to take their medication as directed.”

Research shows that nearly three out of four Americans don’t take their medications as directed. This may cause devastating results, particularly for people with chronic conditions. Poor medication adherence has been recognized by national health advocacy leaders as a public health priority; it results in more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations and almost 125,000 U.S. deaths each year. Improved medication adherence leads to better health outcomes and reduced total healthcare costs.

Student teams from pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and many other health professions worked side by side on campuses and in local communities using innovative solutions to reach thousands of consumers to raise awareness using Script Your Future materials. This year, students also submitted entries in the categories of “Health Disparities Outreach” and “Creative Inter-Professional Team Event.” Coordinators also established, new this year, the award for “Effective Communication and Media Outreach.”

“The Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge has been an innovative method for our future healthcare professionals to engage with their local communities,” said Dr. Lucinda L. Maine, Executive Vice President and CEO at AACP. “The levels of communication and types of events held in these communities provide essential information and strategies for patients to improve their medication adherence and ultimately their health outcomes.”

More than 2,200 future health care professionals held 300 events in 26 states and the District of Columbia, counseling more than 9,300 patients and reaching more than 6 million consumers nationwide.

“It is vital for patients to take their medication as directed in order to achieve optimal health outcomes,” said AMA President Ardis D. Hoven, M.D. “Educating patients through community outreach helps improve the conversations happening in doctors’ offices across the country and helps patients avoid adverse drug reactions and unnecessary hospitalizations. The Script Your Future challenge presents an excellent opportunity for health care professionals-in-training to improve public health.”

“The involvement of students and faculty in the effort to boost medication adherence is incredibly important,” said NACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger. “The Medication Adherence Team Challenge establishes this issue as a top priority for the next generation of health professionals, and inspires them to advance this goal within their own communities. The winners are showing the tremendous power that healthcare professionals can have on advancing patient care through medication adherence. We hope that is a lesson they will carry with them throughout their careers and that will inspire others to do the same.”

“NCPA is proud to co-sponsor the Script Your Future team challenge, a contest that recognizes the next generation of health care professionals’ efforts to drive greater medication adherence,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. “According to NEHI up to $290 billion a year is wasted on the improper use of medication and a comprehensive survey of adherence commissioned by NCPA – Medication Adherence in America: A National Report Card – found Americans only getting a ‘C+’ for their efforts. Script Your Future could very well be the spark that ignites the next wave of adherence driving innovation and all of the honorees should be congratulated.”

 “Pharmacists have a unique opportunity, at the medication dispensing stage, to help patients understand the value of their prescription medications, to help alleviate confusion, and to underline the need for adherence, making a real difference in patients’ lives. We are excited to be involved in this program and what it means for the future of America’s adherence,” said APhA Executive Vice President and CEO Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, ScD (Hon), FAPhA.

“Given nursing’s strong focus on health promotion and patient advocacy, AACN is committed to working with our colleagues in pharmacy, medicine, and other disciplines to underscore the health benefits linked to proper medication adherence among students, clinicians, and the patients we serve,” said Dr. Geraldine “Polly” Bednash, CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

The recognized schools’ campaigns, selected among nearly 50 applications, and 109 participating educational institutions are listed below. In addition, the following schools were named Finalists under the National Award category: California Northstate, College of Pharmacy; Chicago State University College of Pharmacy; Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy; Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy; University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy; and the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.

National Challenge Award: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Pharmacy (LECOM)

Throughout February, LECOM School of Pharmacy partnered with dentists, nurses, physicians, other health professions, and community organizations to counsel nearly 2,000 patients about proper medication adherence in the communities of Erie, PA and Bradenton, FL, where the school campuses are located. LECOM held a variety of events – totaling 47 – that incorporated the theme of living a healthy life through medication adherence. Students reached out to high school and elementary school students at health fairs, partnered with senior centers to host health screenings along with a registered nurse and worked alongside a prescription drug take-back program to educate consumers about proper medication use. LECOM also focused on educating other health care professionals by teaching classes to nursing and pharmacy technician students. The LECOM team created a unique Public Service Announcement (PSA), which was placed in movie theaters, online, and on a roadside billboard, and generated more than 4 million media impressions. LECOM also worked with the local governments of Erie and Manatee Counties to have proclamations issued on the importance of medication adherence.

National Challenge Award: St. Louis College of Pharmacy

St. Louis College of Pharmacy (STLCOP) partnered with the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSM) and the Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing to create an inter-professional team of more than 140 student-volunteers from pharmacy, medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing. The team held at least one event for each day during February, creating 28 partnerships and reaching close to 8,500 consumers during the month of February. The STLCOP team efforts were driven by the slogan “Let’s Talk, St. Louis!” to encourage conversation and useful dialogue with health care professionals. Each health profession discipline in the team shared their expertise with patients during events as well as with each other through daily tips disseminated to all team members. This inter-professional team conducted outreach in numerous languages and worked in community pharmacies, sports centers, health centers and local faith communities to raise awareness about medication adherence and offer free health screening services. The team’s efforts culminated in a proclamation by the Mayor of St. Louis declaring February 28, 2014 “Script Your Future Medication Adherence Day.”

National Target Market Challenge Award: Touro University California College of Pharmacy

Touro University Colleges of Pharmacy, Osteopathic Medicine and Public Health capitalized on last year’s efforts, and increased their consumer outreach by 71 percent, interacting with nearly 2,700 patients, through partnerships with local community organizations at community events. The Touro University team held a large outreach event at the local San Francisco Ferry station to talk to commuters about medication adherence. The team also emphasized outreach to underserved populations by distributing campaign materials in Vietnamese, held health screenings at local women’s and men’s homeless shelters, and worked with the student run clinic to conduct medication reviews and physical examinations. During the month, the team was able to create partnerships with other clinics and pharmacies to distribute materials.

Health Disparities, Under-represented Community Outreach Award: University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Pharmacy

The Inter-professional Health Council at the University of Wisconsin-Madison worked in its community to reach individuals with low incomes or without health insurance. The team conducted most activities at free medical and pharmacy clinics, and at local food pantries. The team provided critical information about the importance of taking charge of one’s health and taking medication as prescribed during the earlier medical visits. The team directly counseled 200 patients and distributed campaign materials that were used during consultations. Through the team’s participation in the Challenge, lasting partnerships have been developed and will continue throughout the year, including monitoring medication adherence levels among clinic patients.

Communication and Media Outreach Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) College of Pharmacy and Medicine students and faculty anchored much of their activities around a proclamation from the Governor of Ohio, with support from Ohio Senator John Eklund and Representative Kathleen Clyde, declaring February 15 to be “Remember to Take Your Medicines Day”. The Governor’s proclamation was incorporated into the team’s media and communication efforts, reaching thousands of consumers through newspaper articles, radio spots, online articles and social media during the month. The team was also quoted in major newspaper articles about adherence month activities and developed a PSA featured on NEOMED websites.

Creative Inter-professional Team Event Award: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Pharmacy

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy took a creative approach this year to reach out to health professionals, particularly nurses, about the tools and resources they could use to promote medication adherence with their patients. Student pharmacists and doctors taught at evening RN and BSN programs, where nurses with varying experience levels learned about adherence and how to use interventions to foster open communication with patients. The team plans to work with other similar programs in the future to collaborate on ways all members of the health care team can be supported to improve adherence.

###

Script Your Future, launched in 2011, is a three-year national public awareness campaign about medication adherence coordinated by the National Consumers League (NCL), a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1899. NCL’s mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org. For more information on NCL, please visit www.nclnet.org.