CONTACT:
Janet Cabibbo
Amendola Communications for NCPDP
480-664-8412 ext. 15
jcabibbo@ACmarketingPR.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NCPDP ACKNOWLEDGES FOUNDING LEADERSHIP WITH LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP AWARD
Founders Credited for Vision, Passion and Contributions that Sparked the Transformation of Pharmacy Industry
SCOTTSDALE, AZ  June 3, 2010  The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP)
announced today it has awarded special recognition to its founding leaders. Benjamin D. Ward, Sr., Charles D.
Pulido, R.Ph., and Edward D. Spearbeck were honored with NCPDP’s Lifetime Membership Award. Lee Ann
Stember, President of NCPDP, presented the awards at the organization’s recent President’s Dinner.
“These individuals laid the foundation for NCPDP based on open communication, active pursuit of balanced
representation and continuous consensus building - all to ensure due process,” said Stember. “We attribute our
success to the vision and passion our founders brought to NCPDP, the diversity of our membership and the
time, expertise and selflessness of our members who come together to do what’s right for the industry.”
Much like the healthcare transformation underway at a national level, NCPDP boasts a 30-year track record of
successfully orchestrating solutions that support the level of care consumers, pharmacists, clinicians and other
healthcare stakeholders enjoy today.
NCPDP was originally founded following the work of an ad hoc committee, which had been established by the
Department of Health, Education and Welfare to produce the first National Drug Code (NDC). Following that
effort, the committee – which had brought together a diverse group of experts from every segment of the
industry – was dissolved. However, members of the committee saw the value of continuing their consensusbuilding and standardization efforts.
Benjamin D. Ward and Charles Pulido, high school friends who went on to found the Pharmaceutical Card
System (PCS), led the effort to develop the Universal Claim form and founded NCPDP in 1977, along with Ed
Spearbeck, who served on the organization’s first Board of Trustees.
“You can’t help but recall the early days of the organization,” said Pulido at the President’s Dinner award
presentation. “Ben’s leadership, his inspiration and his long term dream have resulted in the organization we
have today.”
NCPDP established the Benjamin D. Ward Distinguished Member Award in 1999 as a tribute to its namesake
who is not only a founder of NCPDP, but also the innovator behind the creation of the pharmacy benefits
NCPDP Acknowledges Founding Leadership with Lifetime Membership Award
management (PBM) segment of the healthcare industry. The award acknowledges the outstanding
achievement, consistent dedication and leadership in NCPDP and the healthcare industry.
About NCPDP
Founded in 1977, NCPDP is a not-for-profit, ANSI-accredited, Standards Development Organization with over 1500
members representing virtually every sector of the pharmacy services industry. Our diverse membership provides
leadership and healthcare business solutions through education and standards, created using the consensus building
process. NCPDP has been named in federal legislation, including HIPAA and the MMA. NCPDP members have created
standards such as the Telecommunication Standard and Batch Standard, the SCRIPT Standard for e-Prescribing, the
Manufacturers Rebate Standard and more to improve communication within the pharmacy industry. Our data services
include the NCPDP Provider Identification Number, a unique identifier of over 75,000 pharmacies, and HCIdea, “The
Prescriber Identity Solution.” For more information about NCPDP Standards, Data Services, Educational Programs and
Work Group meetings, go online at www.ncpdp.org or call (480) 477-1000.
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NCPDP Acknowledges Founding Leadership with Lifetime Membership Award