FORMER PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE HDMA 2007 ANNUAL LEADERSHIP FORUM

Arlington, VA – October 3, 2007 – HDMA is pleased to announce that former Prime Minister Tony Blair will deliver the opening keynote address at the HDMA 2007 Annual Leadership Forum, October 24-26, 2007, in Phoenix, Arizona. A widely-respected global statesman and a strong advocate for enhancing healthcare, Mr. Blair will provide unique perspectives based on his experiences as Prime Minister.  Following his keynote address, HDMA members will have a rare opportunity to interact with Mr. Blair on key topical issues in a question-and-answer session.

During his 10 years as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr. Blair transformed Britain’s education and healthcare systems. He is widely recognized as a strong advocate of multi-lateral foreign policy – an agenda that combined tackling terrorism and intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Sierra Leone, with action on climate change, global poverty and Peace Processes in the Middle East and Northern Ireland. Tony Blair currently serves as the Middle East Quartet Representative for the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.

“HDMA continually looks for ways to provide our members and supply chain partners with opportunities to develop new partnerships and perspectives on economic and political key issues affecting business, government and the delivery of healthcare to patients. Mr. Blair is a renowned statesman with global expertise on advocacy and leadership, and we are very excited to have him deliver the keynote address at the Annual Leadership Forum,” said John M. Gray, HDMA President & CEO. “Mr. Blair’s experiences ensure that he will provide HDMA members with valuable insights on a broad range of engaging subjects, including achieving consensus when faced with challenging circumstances and managing policy change on a global scale.”

At one of his earliest U.S. speaking appearances since leaving the Prime Minister’s office, Tony Blair will be the main keynote speaker among an impressive line-up of leaders at the HDMA 2007 Annual Leadership Forum, including former Senator John Breaux (D-LA); former Governor George Allen (R-VA); golf legend David Feherty; Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. President and CEO George Abercrombie; New York Times best selling author and O Magazine columnist Martha Beck; and political humorist Jimmy Tingle.

About HDMA
The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) and its members are committed to patient safety by delivering life-saving health products and services through a secure and efficient healthcare distribution system.  These primary, full-service healthcare distributors are responsible for ensuring that billions of units of medication are safely delivered -- to tens of thousands of retail pharmacies, nursing homes, clinics and providers -- in all 50 states. HDMA and its members are the vital link in the healthcare system that is responsible for medicine safety, quality, integrity and availability in the marketplace.  Through leadership on public policy and industry best practices, HDMA and its members focus on providing value, removing costs and developing innovative solutions to deliver care safely and effectively.  For more information, please visit www.HealthcareDistribution.org.