NCPA joins push for additional economic recovery assistance

As small businesses and community pharmacies continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, the National Community Pharmacists Association has joined America’s Recovery Fund Coalition, a group of more than 100 business organizations advocating for a dedicated fund to build on federal economic assistance efforts and help businesses survive. 

The ARFC launched last week and already represents 45% of the United States workforce, a combined 58 million American workers across a number of industries. 

“Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, independent small business pharmacies for months now have been quite literally providing increased services with fewer resources while putting their own health and safety on the line,” said Karry La Violette, NCPA’s senior vice president of government affairs. “These neighborhood pharmacies are being stretched increasingly thin. The Paycheck Protection Program is well-intentioned initial assistance, but community pharmacies need longer-term support if they are to make it through this crisis. NCPA is pleased to join this effort and advocate for the broader help desperately needed by community pharmacies and other businesses represented by the ARFC.”

The ARFC is focusing on the needs of consumer-facing businesses that may require grants that can be spent over a longer period to retain and rehire staff, pay rent, adapt to new requirements, meet certain debt obligations, and pay state and local taxes. The coalition underscored the importance of longer-term economic assistance last week in a letter sent to the White House and House and Senate leadership.