National Consumers League announces winners of eighth annual Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge

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June 13, 2019

Contest saw participation by 89 health profession schools hosting 370+ events in 14 states, reaching 1.5 million consumers nationwide

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org or (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC — Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) and its partners announced the winners of the eighth annual Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a competition designed to engage health profession students and faculty across the nation by encouraging teams to develop creative initiatives to raise public awareness about the importance of medication adherence. This year’s winners are Pacific University School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy, North East Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy (NEOMED), Touro University California College of Pharmacy, and the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy.   

The 2019 Medication Adherence Team Challenge is part of the national Script Your Future public awareness campaign coordinated by NCL with support from its partners and the Challenge sponsors—the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

“The Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge continues to be an innovative avenue for our future healthcare professionals to engage with their local communities,” said Executive Vice President and CEO at AACP Dr. Lucinda L. Maine. “The communications avenues utilized, resources shared, and events held in these communities provide essential information and strategies for patients to improve their medication adherence and ultimately their health outcomes.”

Medication non-adherence can lead to devastating health outcomes. Research shows that nearly one in five prescriptions go unfilled and half of all patients with chronic illnesses do not take their medication as prescribed. Poor medication adherence is attributed to more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations and at least 125,000 U.S. deaths each year. This phenomenon has led national health advocacy leaders to recognize poor medication adherence as a public health priority. Improved medication adherence leads to better health outcomes and reduced total healthcare costs, and it was for these reasons that NCL launched the Script Your Future awareness campaign in 2011. The Team Challenge was established as a way to extend campaign messages into medical and other schools of health professions, and to nurture adherence-minded values in future generations of professionals entering the workplace.

“Once again, we continue to be encouraged by the collaboration and creativity of the next generation of healthcare professionals and are honored to provide a platform in the Team Challenge that promotes an interprofessional approach to quality, adherence-minded care,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “The robust outreach the student teams conducted to promote medication adherence in their communities was not only impressive, but also highlighted the integral role the entire health professional team plays in achieving positive health outcomes.”

Top performing teams are honored with a National Award for overall outstanding team achievement, or a Focused Award, which recognizes achievement in the specific areas of health disparity/under-represented community outreach, media/communications outreach, or creative interprofessional team event. This year, the Script Your Future National Awards went to Pacific University School of Pharmacy and the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. University of Pittsburgh has reclaimed its 2016 title as a National Award winner, and this year marks the first National Award win for Pacific University, who was recognized as the Rookie Award winner last year. The focused awardees were: Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy (Health Disparities), Touro University College of Pharmacy (Media Outreach), and the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy (Creative Inter-professional Team Event). Finally, the Rookie Award—which recognizes an outstanding team in their first or second year of the Challenge—went to Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy.

“The Script Your Future Team Challenge is the perfect vehicle to inspire the imaginative thinking that is going to drive greater medication adherence, which in turn will produce better health outcomes, while lowering overall spending,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. “Pharmacists are clinically-trained medication experts. They should and do play a prominent role in this event. We applaud all the Script Your Future participants for their efforts and suspect that some of their ideas will gain traction with a larger audience going forward.”

This year, more than 3,800 future healthcare professionals and volunteers held more than 370 events in 14 states, directly counseled more than 12,000 patients, and exposed 1.5 million consumers nationwide to Script Your Future messaging. Since the Challenge began in 2011, more than 18,800 future healthcare professionals have directly counseled nearly 78,000 patients and reached nearly 26 million consumers.

“The Script Your Future Campaign provides an opportunity to engage student communities in developing collaborative, interprofessional teams to address medication non-adherence and improve population health. This initiative continues to advance patient care and foster collaboration all across the country. The NACDS Foundation is proud to be a part of this unique opportunity for students to share their talents and make a difference in their communities,” said NACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger. 

“Pharmacists are medication experts, and nearly all Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy. Yet, almost 50 percent of people prescribed medications for chronic diseases do not take their medication correctly. Pharmacist-provided care services help improve adherence and optimize the effects of prescription medications. The Medication Adherence Team Challenge increases awareness of the pharmacist’s role, promotes interdisciplinary care teams and, most importantly, helps patients,” said APhA CEO Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, ScD (Hon), FAPhA.

The recognized schools, selected from dozens of applications and 89 participating educational institutions, are listed below.

National Challenge Award: Pacific University School of Pharmacy, Hillsboro, OR
Pacific University’s School of Pharmacy partnered with the University’s School of Graduate Psychology, School of Audiology, School of Dental Hygiene, and College of Optometry, as well as several local initiatives, to sponsor six individual events, in addition to an ongoing partnership with a primary care clinic. Pacific University’s Medication Adherence events centered around low-income communities, communities of color, and engaging interprofessional peers. Throughout the Team Challenge, the Pacific University students directly counseled 152 patients, reaching a total of 628 people, and distributed 700 wallet cards, by placing a focused effort to expand their physical and digital impression with social media and involvement in local initiatives. The team’s events included interprofessional presentations at psychology clinics, informative tabling events, outreach at an underserved primary clinic, and a complementary dental care event. Pacific University placed a great emphasis on cultural competency throughout its patient counseling efforts by addressing barriers to health literacy faced by patients of Hispanic and Vietnamese backgrounds.      

National Challenge Award: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
The University of Pittsburgh’s interprofessional team consisted of the University’s School of Dental Medicine, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Medicine, School of Public Health, School of Nursing, and School of Social Work. The University of Pittsburgh reached 2,387 people over the span of 70 events. During these events, the teams were able to directly counseling 2,107 patients, distributing about 400 wallet cards and securing 1,907 “I Will” Pledges. The team conducted outreach over an expansive media platform, amplifying medication adherence messaging across three different radio stations reaching approximately 125,000 listeners throughout the region. The University of Pittsburgh bolstered the multidisciplinary nature of their team by coordinating an interprofessional trivia night and forum. In addition, the team partnered with the nonprofit, Operation Better Block, to coordinate a health fair, providing point-of-care testing and healthcare counseling to 80+ attendees. In addition to fostering interprofessional collaboration, through a partnership with the Birmingham Free Clinic, the team was able to integrate Script Your Future messaging during patient intake and consultation.

National Challenge Award: Finalists
The following schools were named Finalists under the National Award category: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy (LECOM), University of California-San Francisco School of Pharmacy, University of Charleston School of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, and Touro University California College of Pharmacy.

Rookie Award: Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy, in conjunction with the Wilkes University Passan School of Nursing, made an excellent debut in this year’s Team Challenge. The team’s activities included collaborating with local pharmacy organizations to advance diabetes, smoking cessation, and cardiovascular medication adherence efforts. The team expanded its outreach to church and nursing home settings across 10 events throughout the Challenge. A unique component of the team’s outreach included engaging 100+ scouts in the Generation RX and MedWise Scout Event, teaching children ages 11-17 of the importance of proper medication usage.

Rookie Award Finalist: Jefferson College of Pharmacy
Jefferson College of Pharmacy in Philadelphia also made a very strong showing in the Team Challenge as a first-time competitor.  

FOCUSED AWARDS
Health Disparities/Under-represented Community Outreach Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy (NEOMED)
Pharmacy, medical, nursing practitioner, and optometry students from Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy (NEOMED) focused their health disparities-driven outreach to underserved populations with respiratory illness. In an effort to combat high smoking rates in their community, the team also placed a great emphasis on smoking cessation-related outreach efforts, teaching proper inhaler usage in patients with respiratory illnesses such as asthma and COPD. The team also expanded its outreach to middle and high school aged children to emphasize the value of adherence and respiratory health by demonstrating proper inhaler usage and technique.

Communication and Media Outreach Award: Touro University California College of Pharmacy
Touro University California College of Pharmacy has reclaimed its win from last year for the Media/Communications Outreach Award. Pharmacy, medicine, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner students collaborated to produce nine public service announcement videos across various social media platforms. The team used the diversity within their members to their advantage by catering messaging to reflect relevant issues affecting their patient populations. The team also expanded their reach to local newspapers to amplify the value of taking medications properly and in a timely manner.

Creative Inter-Professional Team Event Award: University of Charleston School of Pharmacy
The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy partnered with nursing, physician assistant, and health promotions students to organize multiple health fairs and Script Your Future events throughout the Charleston and southern West Virginia regions. The team’s health promotions students worked closely with the School of Pharmacy in the implementation of Generation Rx and Rex the Rx™ prevention programs in over 40 local elementary schools. The interprofessional team also organized an episode on the University’s Blog Talk Radio series that was hosted by students from the pharmacy, nursing, and PA programs. The Blog Talk Radio episode reached an estimated 12,500 listeners and focused on the unique role each member of the healthcare team has in the management of chronic diseases.

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About Script Your Future
Launched in 2011, 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. As an advocacy organization, NCL is working to educate consumers and key health stakeholders on the importance of taking medication as directed. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit ScriptYourFuture.org. For more information on NCL, please visit nclnet.org.

JPMorgan Chase wants to deny cardholders’ access to justice

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June 10, 2019

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, is calling on the leadership of JPMorgan Chase to reverse its decision to reinstate anti-consumer arbitration clauses affecting 47 million customers. The following statement is attributable to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“Chase’s decision to turn back the clock to the late 2000’s is one that will deny tens of millions of cardholders the right to their day in court. Chase should be better than this. If requiring customers to go to arbitration is ‘faster, less expensive with better outcomes,’ as Chase claims, why require cardholders to opt out to avoid these arbitration clauses? The company should instead give customers some incentive to opt in to arbitration if they so choose. The truth is that companies like Chase know that by requiring customers to waive their rights to access the courts, corporate wrong-doing will go unchecked. We call on JPMorgan Chase to reverse its decision and do right by its customers.”

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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.

Meatpacking workers, consumers safeguarded by House measure to overhaul pork line speed rule

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June 5, 2019

Amendment blocks the USDA from issuing final rule on swine inspection, pending OIG study to support food safety rules

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC —The National Consumers League (NCL) is commending Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and David Price (D-NC) for teaming up to offer an amendment to delay the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s misguided and hazardous proposed rule to strip all speed limits at pig slaughterhouses and to force transparency around its flawed process. The removal of limits could allow slaughterhouses to handle a mind-boggling 1,300 or more pigs per hour and risk improper stun-gunning of livestock in the rush to process them quickly, endangering workers’ safety, public health, and animal welfare.

“Even at current line speeds, pork slaughter and processing workers face many job risks that can lead to severe injury, illness, and death. Meatpacking workers in hog slaughter plants work in cold, wet, noisy, and slippery conditions, making tens of thousands of forceful repetitive motions on each shift. Meatpacking workers are injured at 2.4 times the rate of other industries and they face illness rates at 17 times the rate of other industries,” wrote members of Congress in a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. The proposed rule would also turn over inspection responsibilities to company employees, allow slaughterhouses to define their own microbiological criteria for food safety performance, and usher in comprehensive reforms to longstanding inspection practices without a reliable means of evaluating their efficacy.

The “modernization” of the Swine Slaughter Inspection System will not lead to safer food. Eliminating line speed limits makes it harder for federal meat inspectors and workers in plants to do their jobs. Ultimately, this means it will be less safe for consumers to eat pork.

The amendment blocks funding for implementation of the rule until the USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducts an investigation of all data used by the USDA to develop the proposal. Previously, this data, including worker-safety data was not publicly disclosed until after the closure of the public review and comment period for the proposed rule. The Amendment mandates that USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service fully address and resolve the issues raised by the OIG before the funding hold can be lifted.

NCL is deeply grateful for the leadership of Reps. DeLauro and Price and wishes for the Senate to sustain this vital amendment.

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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 letter to Congress: Raising the Passenger Facility Charge will hurt travelers and families

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May 10, 2019

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

The Honorable Peter DeFazio
Chairman
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
2165 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Maria Cantwell
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
511 Hart Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20500

The Honorable Rick Larsen
Chairman
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Aviation
U.S. House of Representatives
1529 Longworth House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Kyrsten Sinema
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Subcommittee on Aviation and Space
825B Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Re: Raising the Passenger Facility Charge Will Hurt Travelers and Families

Dear Senator Cantwell, Congressman DeFazio, Congressman Larsen, and Senator Sinema,

On behalf of the National Consumers League, America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, I am writing today to share our concerns about the proposal to increase the Passenger Facility Charge (“PFC”) that is under consideration by your committees. There is undoubtedly a need to invest in updating America’s airport infrastructure. However, massive infrastructure projects are already underway and even more are planned, all financed with existing funding sources. Therefore, we disagree that new funds should be generated by raising fees yet again on consumers.

As you know, the PFC is currently capped at $4.50. Some airport executives have proposed increasing the cap to $8.50 per segment and indexing the PFC to inflation.[1] While this may seem like a marginal increase on its face, this fee hike could add up to $64 more for a family of four to travel when layovers are factored in.[2] This would disproportionately burden budget-conscious consumers and families buying less expensive tickets, who already face an array of taxes and ancillary fees. Moreover, the increase will unfairly burden travelers who do not reside near hub airports and typically have to fly multiple segments to reach their destinations.

Since 2009, $165 billion in infrastructure projects have been funded at the current PFC cap level. In 2017, U.S. airports collected a record $30 billion of revenue—growing 47% on a per passenger basis since 2000, outpacing inflation. As anyone traveling through our nation’s airports can attest, there is no shortage of opportunities for airports to obtain revenue; rents paid by gift shops, restaurants, bars, hotels, rental car and parking facilities to name only a few.  Airports should utilize the funds they already have before asking Congress to burden American families and consumers with yet another tax.

Passengers are already paying enough to fly. I encourage you to consider those who will ultimately pay the price for the proposed PFC increase – families, especially rural families, who already pay their fair share in taxes and fees when traveling. Until a persuasive case can be made for additional fees to be passed on to the flying public, we urge you to reject an increase in the PFC cap.

Sincerely,

John Breyault
Vice President, Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud
National Consumers League
Phone: (202) 207-2819
Email: johnb@nclnet.org

[1] Silk, Robert. “PFC redux: Airport and airline lobbyists resume the fight,” Travel Weekly. March 26, 2019. Online: *https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/PFC-redux

[2] Airlines for American. “A4A Urges Senators to Reject Massive Secret Tax Hike in Unreleased THUD Appropriations Bill,” Press release. July 25, 2017. Online: *https://www.airlines.org/news/a4a-urges-senators-to-reject-massive-secret-tax-hike-in-unreleased-thud-appropriations-bill/w.marketwatch.com/press-release/a4a-urges-senators-to-reject-massive-secret-tax-hike-in-unreleased-thud-appropriations-bill-2017-07-25

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

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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 urges withdrawal of expected Federal Reserve nominee Stephen Moore

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May 2, 2019

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) is urging President Trump to withdraw his consideration of Stephen Moore as a nominee to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Board of Governors after the revelation that Moore supports unequal pay for men and women and favors the elimination of many child labor laws.

According to a report in Slate, Moore said during a 2016 debate about the minimum wage that the United States should eliminate many of its child labor laws to help individuals get early work experience. “I’m radical on this,” said Moore, “I’d get rid of a lot of these child labor laws. I want people starting to work at 11, 12.”

“Since 1899, the National Consumers League has worked to protect children from the health and safety dangers of child labor and its horrific impact on children’s education,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Stephen Moore is out of touch on modern labor protections and would wipe out over 100 years of labor progress and endanger countless children.”

“The number of child occupational deaths have fallen dramatically over the last century as child work in factory, coal mines, and other dangerous jobs have been outlawed,” said Reid Maki, NCL’s Director of Child Labor Advocacy and the coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition, which NCL founded 30 years ago and continues to co-chair. “We must not turn back the clock and reverse this progress by gutting our child labor laws.”

The Trump Administration has attempted to weaken current child labor laws by pursuing regulations that would allow teens working in nursing homes to operate patient lifts without adult supervision. “This would endanger both the patient and the teen worker,” said Maki. The administration also tried to reverse an Obama Administration ban on children applying pesticides at work. “It appears that this awful idea has been abandoned,” noted Maki.

In 2014, Moore expressed hope that men would continue to be their family’s “breadwinners” and characterized the gender pay gap between men and women as a distraction from falling wages. He also said that women should be banned from serving as college announcers and referees in college basketball games. “The Federal Reserve plays a critical role in directing the American economy. There’s no place on its Board of Governors for someone who shows no concern for the gender pay gap or someone who would deny women equal access to jobs,” added Greenberg.

CNN reports that Moore has attacked the Violence Against Women Act as the “most objectionable pork” in the 1994 crime bill. Multiple news reports have indicated that Moore had a contempt of court citing for failing to pay alimony and child support to an ex-wife and that he owes the IRS more than $75,000 in back taxes. “There are ample reasons for the president to withdraw Stephen Moore from consideration,” 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.

• The National Consumers League v. Gerber Products Co., No. 2014 CA 008502 B (D.C. Superior Ct.)

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May 1, 2019

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (“NCL”) and Gerber Products Co. (“Gerber”) look forward to working together to further the important goals of supporting consumers of all ages, addressing hunger and food insecurity, and maximizing nutrition awareness.  Both NCL and Gerber value giving back to their communities.  As NCL and Gerber forge a consumer-focused alliance for the future, Gerber has agreed to continue its commitment to consumers and nutrition by providing an in-kind donation to certain local food banks and other organizations as a supplement to its regular donations.  These organizations provide crucial assistance to vulnerable residents of the D.C. metropolitan area especially in times of need.  NCL thanks Gerber for working with our organization and its support of NCL’s mission.

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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 statement on Oregon drug importation legislation

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April 26, 2019

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—As the nation’s pioneer consumer organization, the National Consumers League (NCL) strongly supports consumer access to safe, effective, and affordable prescription drugs. However, NCL is concerned that three pending bills in Oregon (Senate Bill 409, House Bill 2680, and House Bill 2689), which would allow for the importation of prescription drugs from Canada, would make the public vulnerable to counterfeit and/or substandard drugs, thus putting patient health and safety at risk.

Counterfeit medications made with deadly ingredients have been found in more than 40 states across America, posing a significant public health threat. There is no way to ensure that drugs purporting to come from Canada actually come from Canada. An FDA evaluation of non-FDA-approved imported drugs revealed that “while nearly half of imported drugs claimed to be Canadian or from Canadian pharmacies, 85 percent of such drugs were actually from different countries.” Allowing importation will only serve to exacerbate the challenge of preventing counterfeit drugs from reaching American patients.

Every head of Health and Human Services and the FDA for the last 18 years has refused to certify the safety of drug importation. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb *explained that online pharmacies advertising the sale of Canadian-approved medicine most likely source medication from other countries, which may be “expired, mislabeled, subject to recalls, or potentially counterfeit.” NCL fears that authorizing importation would expose consumers to unknown risks and undermine the security of the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain.

Rather than considering misguided importation proposals, NCL encourages the Oregon legislature to pursue other strategies to ensure the affordability and accessibility of safe and effective prescription drugs.

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

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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 statement on drug importation legislation

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April 22, 2019

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—As the nation’s pioneer consumer organization, the National Consumers League (NCL) strongly supports consumer access to safe, effective, and affordable prescription drugs. However, NCL is concerned that the new Florida legislation currently being contemplated, House Bill 19, which would allow for imported prescription drugs from Canada to be sold in Florida, would make the public vulnerable to counterfeit and/or substandard drugs, putting patient health and safety at risk.

Counterfeit medications made with deadly ingredients have been found in more than 40 states across America, posing a significant public health threat. There is no way to ensure that drugs purporting to come from Canada actually come from Canada. An FDA evaluation of non-FDA-approved imported drugs revealed that “while nearly half of imported drugs claimed to be Canadian or from Canadian pharmacies, 85% of such drugs were actually from different countries.” Allowing importation will only serve to exacerbate the challenge of preventing counterfeit drugs from reaching American patients.

Every head of Health and Human Services and the FDA for the last 18 years has refused to certify the safety of drug importation. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb recently expressed his concerns regarding the bill, warning that just because an importer claims “a drug is from a physical Canadian pharmacy, too often that’s false advertising.” NCL fears that authorizing importation would expose consumers to unknown risks and undermine the security of the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain.

Rather than considering misguided importation proposals, NCL encourages the Florida legislature to pursue other strategies to ensure the affordability and accessibility of safe and effective prescription drugs.

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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 statement on Del Monte – National Consumers League

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April 17, 2019

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

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (“NCL”) and Del Monte Foods Inc. (“Del Monte”) look forward to working together to further the important goals of supporting consumers, addressing hunger and food insecurity, and maximizing nutrition awareness.  Both NCL and Del Monte value giving back to their communities.  As NCL and Del Monte forge a consumer-focused alliance for the future, Del Monte has agreed to continue its commitment to consumers and nutrition awareness by providing an in-kind donation to certain local food banks and other organizations as a supplement to its regular donations.  These organizations provide crucial assistance to residents of the D.C. metropolitan area especially in times of need.  NCL thanks Del Monte for working with our organization and its support of NCL’s mission.

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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.

Rhode Island takes 2019 National LifeSmarts Championship at 25th anniversary event in Orlando

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April 16, 2019

Contact: National Consumers League, Carol McKay, (724) 799-5392, carolm@nclnet.org

Orlando, FL—The student team from Barrington, RI, coached by Sam Schachter, unseated the returning champs from Dallas, PA, to be crowned the 2019 national champions in Orlando at the 25th annual National LifeSmarts Championship. In an exciting match against the three-time champion team from Dallas High School, the teens from Barrington High School outplayed their opponents in an exciting end to the four-day competition.

Barrington High School’s team roster includes Captain Daniel Sheinberg and his teammates Jonathan Zhang, Annika Kelly, CJ Hilty, and Willis Bilderback. Dallas High School students won the national title in 2016, 2017, and 2018 National Championships. 

Teams from Illinois and Wyoming placed third.

“We are so proud of these students from Rhode Island, who represented their state program with class and pride to take the championship,” said LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “They played hard and demonstrated their consumer smarts throughout the four-day event. They are true LifeSmarts champions.”

LifeSmarts is an education and scholarship program run by the Washington, DC-based National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization. It competitively tests high school students’ knowledge of consumer awareness, with subjects including personal finance, health and safety, consumer rights and responsibility, technology, and the environment. LifeSmarts is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in partnership programs with student leadership programs FBLA, 4H, and FCCLA.

Teens from each of the 39 champion teams represented at nationals competed as individuals, and the top five scorers received scholarships from NCL. This year’s winners were:

  • Environment: Jayson Guo, Hawaii
  • Personal Finance: Daniel Sheinberg, Rhode Island
  • Health and Safety: Annika Kelly, Rhode Island
  • Consumer Rights and Responsibilities: Willis Bilderback, Rhode Island
  • Technology: Clement Hilty, Rhode Island

James Alwin from Oconto High School in Wisconsin and Annette Peterson from Blair Oaks High School in Missouri were named the 2019 Students of the Year. Roslyn Evans (Alabama) and Shawn Joyce (NH) were named LifeSmarts Coaches of the Year. Long-time State Coordinator Will Rance, from Washington, earned the Coordinator of the Year honor.

“NCL’s LifeSmarts program is allowing us to rear a generation of consumer-savvy teenagers who often outsmart their parents on issues related to avoiding fraud, credit and debt, and complicated healthcare decisions,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. In the 25 years that LifeSmarts has been educating high school and middle school teens on consumer issues, it has grown dramatically, with more than 3 million consumer questions answered at LifeSmarts.org in the online competition during the 2018-2019 program year.

At the event in Orlando, NCL also announced winners of several other scholarships and contests. Annika Kelly won first place in a privacy-related essay contest sponsored by LifeSmarts and the Identity Theft Resource Center. Runners-up included: Clement Hilty (RI), Matthew Loynes (NC), Austin Dial (TX), Brady Tappel (MO), and Alex Hey (IL).

NCL also announced the winners of the Safety Smart Ambassador scholarships, given to students who participated in the health and safety-related youth mentoring program sponsored by LifeSmarts and UL. Winners included: Luke Maycumber (AZ), Austin Dial (TX), Alexis McBride (FL), Emmy Dehner (IN), and Hannah Wolfe (PA).

The Sarah Weinberg Memorial Scholarship, given to students who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to community service, was awarded this year to Everett Charles from Kentucky.

For team photos, event schedules, grid standings, and more, log on to www.facebook.com/LifeSmarts

All winners at the national LifeSmarts Competition received valuable prizes donated by sponsors to the National Consumers League, including scholarships, savings bonds, gift cards, and more. To learn more about the program, contact NCL’s Lisa Hertzberg at (202) 835-3323.

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About LifeSmarts and the National Consumers League

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at (202) 835-3323.

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.