The Community Pharmacy Foundation (CPF) is thrilled to announce a new grant opportunity, the Washington State Special Project, exclusively available in Washington state. This new funding opportunity was made possible by a generous gift of the residual assets of Northwest Pharmacy Services (NWPS), a Washington-based regional PBM. NWPS was originally formed by community pharmacies as an alternative to larger PBMs and effectively served the market for over 35 years before being sold to another small innovative PBM. Net proceeds from the sale were transferred to the NPS Hold Company for disposition.

“The founders of NWPS had the foresight to create an organization to support compensation for traditional pharmacy dispensing services, along with compensation for pharmacist-delivered services that add value to patient care. The Board of NPS Hold Company are pleased to be

able to honor and continue their vision with these funds” stated Holly Whitcomb Henry, NPS Hold Company Board President.

The gift from the NPS Hold Company will be designated to support projects and programs to advance community pharmacy practice activities in Washington state.

“The Community Pharmacy Foundation Board of Directors has appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with Washington state leaders in creating the Washington State Special Project,” said Linda Garrelts MacLean, BPharm, RPh, FAPhA, FACA, FNAP, President of the CPF Board of Directors. “We are grateful to the NPS Hold Company for this gift that honors the legacy of NWPS as pharmacy practice is advanced and supported.

“We, the NPS Hold Company Board, were committed to donating the funds in a way that would support the development of advanced community pharmacy practice in our region for years to come. We chose CPF as the recipient because their goals align so well with ours. Based on CPF’s record of achievement, we are confident they will be wonderful stewards of these funds. We could not have found a better match.” says Dale Christensen, RPh, Ph.D, FAPhA, Board member and spokesperson.

The Community Pharmacy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing community pharmacy practice and patient care delivery through grant funding and resource sharing. To date, CPF has provided funding for over 200 grants and programs totaling over 16 million dollars. CPF will manage the Washington State Special Project with the same rigor and commitment to advance community pharmacy practice it has used for over two decades. The CPF Board of Directors will seek to fund projects and programs designed to advance community pharmacy practice in a variety of ways within the state of Washington. Applications for the Washington State Special Project will be reviewed once a year. Information about the application and review process is available at https://communitypharmacyfoundation.org/about/washington-state-special-project.asp.

“This is the first time the Community Pharmacy Foundation has received a gift that is designated to support innovation in community pharmacy practice in a specific geography,” said Kelly Brock, PharmD, RPh, Executive Director of CPF. “Washington state has always been a leader in community pharmacy practice and with this gift, the NPS Hold Company just ensured that

CPF will be able to invest in innovative projects and programs that will continue to advance community pharmacy in Washington state for many years to come.” 

The Washington State Special Project is now accepting applications for the 2024 funding cycle. Applications for this funding cycle are due by October 31, 2023. Individuals from Washington state with an innovative idea to advance community pharmacy practice should submit an application at: https://communitypharmacyfoundation.org/mycpf/register.asp.

About Community Pharmacy Foundation

The Community Pharmacy Foundation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing community pharmacy practice and patient care delivery through grant funding and resource sharing. For more information about the grants and programs that have been funded or to apply for a grant, please visit www.communitypharmacyfoundation.org.