NCL concerned over proposed poultry reform – National Consumers League

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April 9, 2013

Contact: Ben Klein, NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org 

Washington, DC-The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today expressed disappointment with the Obama Administration’s apparent plans to move forward with the implementation of poultry slaughter reform.

“Consumer and worker advocates have been working tirelessly to halt the implementation of this program,” said Executive Director Sally Greenberg.  “The changes USDA has proposed would put both workers and consumers at risk.”

In January of 2012, USDA proposed changes to poultry slaughter. While historically, inspection duties have been carried out by government inspectors, the new model would transfer some of these responsibilities to plant employees; these are workers who may be vulnerable to employer intimidation and lack the level of training government inspectors possess.  In addition, plants adopting the new model would be allowed to increase the speed of inspection to 175 birds per minute, a rate of one bird every third of a second.  The proposal has been sitting at USDA for several months after vocal opposition from both advocates and members of Congress, but the President’s new budget–released yesterday–includes projected savings from the implementation of this program.

“We are disappointed that the Administration has chosen to move forward with this irresponsible proposal which would endanger public health, especially after such vocal opposition from labor, consumers, and many others,” said Greenberg, “NCL has serious questions about the safety of workers and the food they produce under this scheme, none of which have been adequately answered. While judicious spending is essential, creating savings by sacrificing worker and food safety is not the answer. ”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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 calls on the FDA to investigate misleading labeling on Martin’s ‘100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread’ – National Consumers League

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April 9, 2013

Contact: Ben Klein, NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) today sent a letter to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requesting that the agency review the misleading product name on Martin’s “100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread,” manufactured by Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.

“This product name is confusing and misleading to consumers, not to mention an oxymoron,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Martin’s 100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread’ contains potato flour in addition to whole wheat flour and, therefore, should not be called 100 percent whole wheat. Whole wheat bread must be prepared in accordance with ingredient requirements set forth in FDA regulations And those regulations require that the only flour that can be used is whole wheat flour.”

Greenberg further stated that “while it is laudable that the primary ingredient in Martin’s ‘100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread’ is whole wheat flour, the 100 percent whole wheat designation is certainly misleading.” She urged the FDA to require the product label to state “potato bread made with whole wheat” whenever the name of the bread appears on the product label.

Government agencies and scientific communities have been widely promoting the consumption of whole grains, and manufacturers have responded by marketing a large variety of products with labels highlighting the presence of whole grains. FDA became so concerned about the proliferation of claims that may be misleading to consumers, that in 2011 it sought permission to conduct a study about consumer perceptions of whole grain claims.

“The wide array of whole wheat claims in the bread aisle is overwhelming to consumers trying to decide which breads are the healthiest,” said Greenberg. “All products making whole wheat or whole grain claims should be required to specify clearly and accurately the percentage of whole grains. We call on FDA to ensure that Martin’s no longer represents its product as ‘100% whole wheat.’”

Read the full letter here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

Consumer group applauds Perez appointment to DOL – National Consumers League

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March 18, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League, America’s pioneering consumer organization, applauds President Obama’s nomination of Tom Perez to serve as Labor Secretary. Perez is a longtime champion of civil rights and spent his career advocating for working families. Perez currently serves as head of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice but had previously served as labor secretary for the state of Maryland. Perez is an advocate of immigration reform, as well, sitting on the board of Casa de Maryland, a group that provides day labor centers. Perez is himself the son of Dominican immigrants. NCL’s Board of Directors recently adopted policy in support of immigration reform because immigrants are so often exploited both as consumers and workers.

The position of Secretary of Labor is critically important in overseeing the health and safety of workers through OSHA, protections provided by the Department’s the Wage and Hour Division, and ensuring there are sufficient inspectors to uncover violations of laws and regulations on child labor. The Secretary of Labor also uses the bully pulpit to highlight rights and protections afforded to workers, and encourages cooperation and collaboration between unions and management. NCL has recognized the important work of Secretaries of labor by given the organization’s Trumpeter Award to several former secretaries, including Robert Reich and Hilda Solis.

“NCL welcomes the nomination of Tom Perez, a champion of working people, to the position of Secretary of Labor and we look forward to working with him on a host of issues, including preventing exploitation of all children and teens who work, and especially farmworker children, and protecting particularly low income workers from wage theft abuses,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg.

“The Senate should move quickly to confirm this qualified nominee. We look forward to working with Perez to further build and protect the rights that are so integral to maintaining a vibrant American workforce,” said Greenberg.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

Payroll fraud costing workers, government – National Consumers League

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March 13, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications (724) 799-5392, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–When an employer misclassifies an employee as an independent contractor, everyone suffers, from workers to taxpayers. By skirting their responsibility to pay taxes, employers pass a heavy tax burden onto workers. Additionally, workers lose crucial employment protections such as minimum wage, paid overtime, workers compensation, and unemployment insurance.

Today, the National Consumers League hosted a Senate briefing on Capitol Hill, featuring a panel of worker advocates, state agency staff, and industry experts to unveil new survey findings about consumers’ awareness of payroll fraud. The survey, conducted by ORC International and commissioned by the National Consumers League, found that most consumers are unaware of the existence of employee misclassification, but are near-unanimously opposed to the negative consequences misclassification creates for workers and tax payers.

“Honest businesses, employees, communities, states, and the federal government are all affected by payroll fraud, which is on the rise in states all across the country,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization.

A 2009 report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that payroll fraud decreased federal revenues by $2.72 billion in 2006. Certain industries including construction, real estate, home care, trucking, and janitorial services have disproportionally high rates of misclassification. These rates continue to rise according to numerous state studies. In California, for example, the number of unreported employees identified by the Economic Development Department increased by a third between 2006 and 2008. More recent studies are needed to understand the full effect of payroll fraud on federal revenues.

“Many consumers do not know how serious and widespread cases of misclassification are in the workplace. Once we educate people about this issue, however, nearly everyone agrees that employers are benefitting at the expense of hard working Americans. People lose valuable worker protections such as paid overtime and worker’s compensation, leaving them vulnerable and without any job security,” said Michell McIntyre, Project Director for NCL’s Special Project on Wage Theft.

Survey Highlights

Awareness of “employee misclassification” is low, described to respondents as “a form of payroll fraud in which an employer intentionally classifies workers as ‘independent contractors’ instead of ‘employees’ in order to deprive workers of their workplace protections and defraud state and federal treasuries out of income taxes”.

Two in three Americans (65%) have not heard of employee misclassification.

  • Awareness of this term is substantially lower among females, 71% of whom have not heard of it versus 59% of males.
  • Lack of awareness decreases with education:  72% of those with a high school education or less have never heard of the term, compared to 63% of respondents with some college education and 55% of college graduates.

Once familiarized with the concept of “employee misclassification,” respondents expressed strong views against it, including support for punishment of the companies that engage in this practice.

  • Nine in ten consumers (90%) “strongly agree” or “agree” that it is important that companies do not misclassify workers as independent contractors in order to prevent workers from receiving minimum wage and paid overtime.
  • Agreement is higher among women, with 93% agreeing with the statement versus 87% of men.

According to 93% of Americans who express agreement, companies that intentionally misclassify workers as independent contractors in order to dodge paying minimum wage, overtime, workers compensation and taxes should be fined or punished.

  • Once again, females are more inclined to say they “strongly agree” or “agree” with fines or punishment (95% vs. 90% males).

Nearly all consumers (96%) are in agreement that workers should be clearly informed in writing that they have been classified as independent contractors at the beginning of employment.

  • Agreement is universally high among all demographic subgroups.

See NCL’s full survey and results.

Methodology

These results are based on 1,024 telephone interviews among a random sample of US adults 18 years old and older. Interviews were conducted over the period December 13-16, 2012, utilizing both landline and cell telephones. Results among total sample have an error margin of +/- 3%. Interviewing was conducted on behalf of National Consumers League using ORC International’s CARAVAN® survey.

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

National Consumers League calls on FTC to investigate allegations against Herbalife – National Consumers League

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March 12, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (724) 799-5392, carolm@nclnet.org or Sally Greenberg, 202-835-3323 x 830

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate recent allegations that the multi-level marketing company Herbalife is, in actuality, a sophisticated pyramid scheme. Herbalife’s business practices have recently come under intense investor scrutiny, and NCL is now calling on federal regulators to examine both the claims lodged against Herbalife and Herbalife’s responses. NCL wants the federal agency to evaluate the evidence on both sides and make a determination that will serve as an important guide to consumers.

In December 2012, Pershing Square Capital Management, a New York-based hedge fund, published the results of an 18-month investigation of Herbalife. This report claims a range of potential violations of federal and state consumer protection and anti-pyramiding laws, including Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.” Herbalife responded in kind by arguing that both its products and its business model are legitimate, and that the company is a bona fide multi-level marketing enterprise.

“Having reviewed this report, Herbalife’s responses to it, and associated analyst and media coverage, we believe that the FTC should conduct a thorough investigation,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “Allegations that Herbalife’s business model is a pyramid scheme are serious charges with serious consequences for consumers and those who are recruited to sell Herbalife’s products. The FTC is the federal agency with the right mandate and expertise to explore these allegations.”

The National Consumers League itself has special expertise in this area. NCL’s letter to the FTC notes that, “[I]n 2009, with a grant from the Direct Selling Education Foundation, NCL launched an consumer education campaign to help consumers spot the differences between legitimate multi-level marketing (MLM) plans and fraudulent pyramid schemes.”

NCL’s letter also notes that “NCL’s anti-pyramiding checklist informs consumers that the central difference between a legitimate MLM business and a pyramid scheme is that an MLM succeeds largely by selling products and services, whereas a pyramid scheme makes profits primarily by recruiting new distributors.” NCL is asking the FTC to determine whether Herbalife falls into the MLM category, as company officials claim, or is in fact dependent for its profits on recruiting distributors rather than selling its products.

“We believe a thorough FTC investigation looking at both sides of this issue is called for at this time,” said Greenberg.

To read NCL’s letter to the FTC, click here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

National Consumers League launches all new Fraud.org – National Consumers League

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February 20, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (724) 799-5392, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, the National Consumers League, today debuted the redesign of Fraud.org, its consumer fraud education Web site. For more than 15 years, Fraud.org has been the premier resource for consumers to learn about and report Internet and telemarketing scams. Since 1996, NCL has tracked trends in Internet and telemarketing scams to identify emerging scams.  NCL assists victims by relaying reports daily to more than 90 law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada, including the Federal Trade Commission, state Attorneys General, and police departments.

Fraud remains a widespread problem costing tens of millions of consumers billions of dollars annually. Thanks to modern technology, fraudsters can easily find victims while remaining largely hidden from law enforcement. According to estimates from the Financial Fraud Research Center, the annual cost of consumer financial fraud in the U.S. is approximately $50 billion, on par with the annual gross output of the radio and television broadcasting industry.

“We are proud to debut the new and improved Fraud.org today,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “Fraud.org has been an invaluable tool in the fight against fraud for more than a decade. Because we track data as provided to us directly from consumers, Fraud.org is able to identify trends in emerging scams, deliver crucial prevention information about them to consumer protection professionals and members of the media.  We also assist law enforcement agencies engaged to help them bring con artists to justice.”

More than 30 years ago, NCL established the Alliance Against Fraud, a coalition of organizations concerned with the proliferation of telemarketing and Internet-based fraud. The work of the Alliance led to the League’s long-term program, the National Fraud Information Center (and later Internet Fraud Watch / NCL’s Fraud Center), established in 1992 to assist consumers directly with telemarketing fraud inquiries.

“With new scams popping up every day, there is a greater need than ever for reliable information to help consumers spot the scams and avoid becoming a fraud victim statistic,“ said John Breyault, NCL Vice President for Telecommunications and Fraud Public Policy. “NCL’s Fraud.org has long been recognized as a leader in the consumer watchdog community, and this site overhaul will enable us to reach even more consumers to empower them with our anti-fraud messages.”

“The National Consumers League, an important data contributor to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel complaint database, is one of the primary reasons for that database’s volume and diversity of data,” said FTC Commissioner Maureen K. Ohlhausen. “NCL’s Fraud.org is an important partner in the FTC’s fight to protect consumers from being victimized by fraud.”

Through a complete overhaul of its design, the new Fraud.org will make it even easier for consumers to find the information they need to avoid scams. The new user experience includes:

  • An updated search function to help consumers search for scams in multiple ways, enabling them to go directly to a specific type of fraud or, using a more advanced search, identify the type of scam they’ve been exposed to if they aren’t sure;
  • Content that is easily shareable via social networks so that consumers can quickly pass along fraud warnings to friends and loved ones in need;
  • The ability to sign up for regular Fraud Alerts to help consumers stay abreast of emerging scams before they become victims; and
  • As always, consumers who have been victims of fraud or been approached by scammers can file complaints through our secure online complaint form. These complaints are then shared with our network of law enforcement and consumer protection partners.

“We are looking forward to adding even more features in the coming months to further enhance the experience for visitors to Fraud.org,” said Breyault. “We aim to make Fraud.org a go-to resource for consumers so they can find the information they need to avoid the daily onslaught of fraudulent tricks and traps.” 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

Obama SOTU proposal to increase federal minimum wage welcome by advocates – National Consumers League

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February 13, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) applauds President Obama’s State of the Union proposal to increase the federal minimum wage. The proposal would give low wage workers a $1.75 an hour raise by increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9 an hour by the end of 2015 and index it to the rate of inflation, for the first time in history.

“After watching millions of families with two children struggle below the federal poverty line, it is gratifying to have the President address the economic realities faced of low wage workers,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL. “NCL agrees with the President that anyone who works full-time shouldn’t be living in poverty in this, the richest nation in the world.”

NCL also applauds the President’s call for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that ensures men and women receive equal pay for equal work. The bill would require employers to demonstrate that any difference in salary between male and female workers doing the same job are not gender related, and protect workers from retaliation when sharing salary information with co-workers.

In order for a woman to prove that she’s been the victim of pay discrimination, she needs to be able to have access to co-worker salary information without employer retaliation. The Paycheck Fairness Act would help close the $10,784 annual wage gap between men and women in the U.S.

“Earning $10,784 less a year due to gender inequality is not just a matter of injustice and inequality, it’s also about economic stability,” said Michell K. McIntyre, Project Director of NCL’s Special Project on Wage Theft. “We will work diligently with the President, Congress and our civil rights and union allies to see this measure enacted.” 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

Consumer group praises FTC for crackdown on Four Loko labeling – National Consumers League

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February 13, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization in the country, today applauded the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for issuing a modified Order against Phusion Projects, LLC. The order addresses false claims made by the company regarding the alcohol content of its popular product, Four Loko. Specifically, the claim that “a 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko contains the alcohol equivalent of one or two regular 12-ounce beers” was ruled false. The modified order requires that the company apply to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) for approval to include an alcohol facts panel on the product. This label would include information about alcohol content, serving size, and servings per container. Additionally, the cans must be redesigned so they are re-sealable, allowing the consumer to drink the product in multiple sittings.

“We thank the FTC for its strong enforcement action that serves the interests of consumers in several important ways,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. “It is important that consumers are fully aware of how much alcohol they are consuming when they choose a beverage. NCL and other consumer groups have been working for years to get more information about nutritional facts and alcohol content included on these products.”

Four Loko first came to the public’s attention several years ago when concerns were raised over its combination of alcohol and caffeine, a blend which had caused the beverage to gain popularity with college students. After media coverage about college students who ended up in the hospital after consuming the beverage, and indications that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was planning to take action, Four Loko was reformulated to remove the caffeine. However, even with this reformulation, significant concerns about the product remained.

According to the FTC’s modified Order, Phusion Projects, LLC has 90 days to include the required label on its products. “We urge TTB to approve an alcohol facts panel label for Four Loko and to move forward on stalled rulemaking to implement such labels on all alcoholic products,” said Greenberg. “The decision by FTC represents another victory in the fight to ensure consumers are given robust and honest information with which they can make informed consumption decisions.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

Consumer Groups Call on President and Congress to Pursue Strong Consumer Agenda – National Consumers League

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February 1, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC– In joint letters sent to President Obama and Congressional leaders, eight of the nation’s leading consumer organizations urged policymakers to pursue a strong, robust agenda of consumer reforms.

With the President’s second term and a new session of Congress underway, the groups are calling for measures to strengthen the consumer’s voice in Washington, to continue improvements in health care and financial services, and to ensure that Americans’ food and products are safe.  They are also advocating for energy and telecommunications reforms, policies to strengthen regulations that protect the public from harm, consumer legal rights, and actions to ensure the marketplace is fair, open, and competitive.

The letter was signed by presidents and executive directors of Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Consumers League, National Consumer Law Center, Public Citizen, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

“The agenda we are providing today is a key starting point for our recommendations regarding the top issues for consumers,” the groups wrote.  “By working together and helping consumers make more informed decisions, we are building an influential consumer movement that will be a force for change.”

Under the heading “An Agenda to Ensure Consumers are Heard” the groups laid out nine major initiatives that the White House and Congress should adopt in the next Administration and in the new Congress:

  • Elevate the consumer voice in government by reinstating the key position of the White House Special Advisor on Consumer Affairs, holding regular meetings with consumer leaders, and convening a White House conference on the state of the consumer today.
  • Continue to work to make health care affordable, accessible, and safe through measures such as protecting funding for the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid by reducing wasteful and unnecessary spending, not cutting services or shifting costs to consumers.
  • Continue to protect and expand upon the financial consumer protections secured in recent years, including the newly-created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  • Ensure our food and products are safe by moving forward on still-pending food safety rules and implementing tougher standards for products, such as infant and toddler items.
  • Provide consumers with affordable and sustainable energy options by forcefully addressing climate change and promoting clean-energy initiatives.
  • Ensure that the Internet and other telecommunications services remain affordable and accessible, and consumers’ privacy is protected.
  • Support regulations that improve our quality of life and protect our health and safety, as well as oppose efforts to undercut the regulatory rulemaking process.
  • Improve consumer access to justice by reinstating legal rights.
  • Protect consumers by ensuring open, competitive and fair markets through tough enforcement of antitrust prohibitions on anticompetitive mergers and cracking down on monopolistic practices that lead to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.

The letters were delivered to the White House and Senate Majority Leader Reid, Senate Republican Leader McConnell, Speaker of the House Boehner, and House Democratic Leader Pelosi.

For copies of the consumer groups’ letters and agenda, click here.

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our 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.

Script Your Future launches second annual student challenge to improve medication adherence – National Consumers League

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January 30, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—Today marks the launch of the 2013 Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a month-long competitive outreach project to engage student pharmacists and other health profession students, including medical and nursing students, and faculty in coming up with creative solutions to raise awareness about medication adherence as a critical public health issue. The Challenge, coordinated by the National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneer consumer group and the lead organization on the national Script Your Future campaign, is returning to university campuses across the country after a successful first year of student innovation.

With nearly three out of four Americans not taking their medications as directed—which results in serious health consequences, especially for people with chronic diseases—the National Consumers League and its partners in the Script Your Future campaign have committed to a 3-year program to raise awareness of the importance of medication adherence. The Challenge is part of the public awareness campaign launched in 2011 by NCL with more than 130 public and private stakeholder organizations.  This year’s Challenge is sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the American Medical Association (AMA), and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

“One of the best hopes we have for changing our culture of nonadherence is to train the next generation of health care professionals to be proactive about engaging their patients, and that starts in the classroom through the innovation brought forward by health professions faculty,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director.

“The success of the first Script Your Future Adherence Challenge in October 2011 demonstrated the power of student pharmacists to reach out to their communities and engage patients and caregivers to improve health through better adherence,” said Dr. Lucinda L. Maine, Executive Vice President and CEO at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.  “This year’s Challenge will emphasize the interprofessional health care team and what each member of that team needs to do to move the needle on medication adherence.”

The Medication Adherence Team Challenge is a month-long outreach project that will be held in February 2013 to engage interdisciplinary student teams from pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and other health professions to tackle the problem of poor adherence.  The teams will be implementing creative solutions and outreach in their communities to raise awareness and improve understanding about medication adherence, using Script Your Future materials.  At the end of the Challenge, select schools or colleges will be recognized nationally for their efforts to improve medication adherence.

“Innovative medication adherence  initiatives, such as the Challenge, ultimately help raise patient awareness of the importance of taking medication as prescribed. This kind of initiative can help prevent potential adverse events and unnecessary hospitalizations, and ultimately help improve health outcomes,” said NACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger.  “We look forward to seeing what this next generation of pharmacists and other health care professionals will create throughout this year’s Challenge.”

“Everyone wins when patients take their medication as prescribed to achieve optimal health outcomes,” said AMA President Jeremy A. Lazarus, M.D. “As a sponsor of the challenge, the AMA is pleased to work with other health care professionals to improve the health of our patients and avoid unnecessary health problems.”

“Greater medication adherence improves patients’ well-being and ultimately helps to drive down the costs of health care,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. “Independent community pharmacists are committed to proactively identifying solutions to improve patient adherence in their communities, and the Challenge is a terrific way to raise awareness among the next generation of pharmacists.”

In the inaugural year of the Challenge, more than 40,000 student pharmacists educated over 250,000 individuals nationwide during the month of October 2011 in this concerted public effort about the importance of medication adherence. Last year’s awardees, selected from 81 participating colleges and schools of pharmacy, included the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Harding University College of Pharmacy, Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy, and University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy. To learn more about last year’s winners visit the Script Your Future website.

For more information on the Challenge visit the Challenge Community website at https://syfadherencechallenge.ning.com/. Follow the Challenge on Twitter using the hashtag #SYFchallenge and follow the campaign @IWillTakeMyMeds.

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About Script Your Future

Script Your Future is a campaign of 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.