The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, Former HHS Secretary, to Speak at NABP’s 102nd Annual Meeting

February 24, 2006 12:00 am

Health care in the United States has undergone a dramatic transformation as a result of the passage the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. This expansion of the Medicare program is unparalleled and has raised a number of public health policy issues concerning access to medications and the optimal management of medication therapy in consideration of patient safety. The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, former US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, will be sharing his insight on these issues during the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^®’s (NABP^®) 102nd Annual Meeting to be held April 8-11, 2006, at the Westin St Francis in San Francisco, CA. During the continuing education session, “Public Policy Decisions: An Analysis of Issues That Have Dramatically Changed Health Care in the United States” on Monday, April 10, 2006, from 8:15 to 10:15 AM, Thompson will analyze these issues from his unique perspective while overseeing HHS. In addition, he will discuss how federal and state agencies are continuing to examine public health policies regarding the importation of drugs from countries outside of the US’s regulatory safety net, an effort that has been largely spearheaded by US Food and Drug Administration.

Thompson served as HHS secretary from 2001 to 2005 where he started a national crusade to encourage people, businesses, and communities to lead healthier lifestyles by eating healthier, exercising more, and quitting smoking. Thompson also led the administration’s efforts to pass and implement a new Medicare law that for the first time, provides a drug benefit to the country’s Medicare beneficiaries. Also during his tenure as HHS secretary, he reinvigorated the country’s public health infrastructure by providing statesand communities with the resources needed to respond to terrorist attacks or any other public health emergency.

Before becoming HHS secretary, Thompson served an unprecedented 14 years as governor of Wisconsin, where he focused on revitalizing the state’s economy. Thompson also worked to extend health insurance to many low-income children and families. As of November 2000, the BadgerCare program, Wisconsin’s Medicaid/State Children’s Health Insurance Program for uninsured families, had enrolled more than 77,000 individuals. Also, Wisconsin’s Pathways to Independence was the nation’s first program to allow the disabled to enter the workforce without the fear of losing their disability benefits.

Thompson currently is a partner at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld at the firm’s Washington, DC, office, where he is building on his efforts as HHS secretary and as the former governor of Wisconsin to focus on improving the use of information technology in hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices; promoting healthier lifestyles; strengthening and modernizing Medicare and Medicaid; and expanding the use of medical diplomacy around the world. He also serves as the independent chairman of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

Thompson has received numerous awards for his public service, including the Anti-Defamation League’s Distinguished Public Service Award, Governing magazine’s Public Official of the Year Award in 1997, and the Horatio Alger Award in 1998. Thompson has also served as chairman of the National Governor’s Association, the Education Commission of the States, and the Midwestern Governor’s Conference.

For more information on the 102nd Annual Meeting, please contact the NABP Meetings Desk at 847/391-4406 or via e-mail at custserv@nabp.net. Information and registration forms may also be found on NABP’s Web site at www.nabp.net.

Larissa Doucette