A powerful late-winter storm earlier this month derailed the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ ambitious plans for RxImpact Day on Capitol Hill. Snow, sleet and freezing rain in Washington, D.C., and more severe conditions northward up the East Coast prompted cancelation of the annual event, which would have brought together some 400 industry advocates, including top-level executives from the companies NACDS represents, front-line professionals and pharmacy students, to meet with members of the House and Senate and staffers. Ninety percent of congressional offices were to be involved.

The loss of RxImpact Day to inclement weather was a big disappointment for the association and others with an interest in unlocking the full potential of community pharmacy. Since its debut in 2009, the event has played an important part in raising the profession’s profile in the nation’s capital and ensuring that retail pharmacy has a seat at the table when health care policy is debated. Individuals who have participated from the beginning relate how effective RxImpact Day has been in familiarizing federal legislators with issues that affect the industry, emphasizing the high level of continuity in discussions from one year to the next.

Had conditions allowed it to go forward, the latest iteration of RxImpact Day would have occurred at a moment when Washington is fixated on health care. Speaker Paul Ryan and his allies in the Republican-controlled House are moving swiftly to secure passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the bill they’ve crafted as the first step toward keeping their oft-repeated pledge to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

The measure has drawn heavy fire from a number of quarters, including conservative congressmen who object, among other things, to the tax credits it envisions, and some Republican senators and governors worried about scaling back Medicaid. President Trump has expressed support for the House bill, while at the same time telling those with seemingly irreconcilable positions that he is open to compromise. Democrats are united in opposition, a stance reinforced by a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which concludes that 24 million fewer people would have health insurance coverage in 2026 than have it today if the AHCA becomes law.

It would have been a propitious time for pharmacy advocates to drive home their message about the contributions the industry can make to improving health care in terms of access, outcomes and cost. NACDS is moving quickly to help fill the gap. Steve Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the association, made a strong case for pharmacy in an op-ed piece in the March 14 edition of The Hill, and NACDS is running a print and digital advertising campaign in the Washington market that highlights the stories of pharmacy professionals.

The people who had planned to participate in RxImpact Day should follow NACDS’ lead and work to maintain the momentum with legislators and policy makers that pharmacy has established in recent years. Just because bad weather prevented them from talking with senators and representatives in Washington doesn’t mean they can’t connect with them on home ground. Active engagement in town halls and other public forums conducted by legislators can be just as effective as meetings on Capitol Hill in getting community pharmacy’s message across, and it is likely to have the additional benefit of converting fellow constituents into active supporters of the profession.