National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

02/18/2026

📰 Earlier today, National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) President and CEO Steven C. Anderson announced his retirement after two decades at the helm of the Association, effective Dec. 31, 2026. Please join us in celebrating a career of dedication and excellence in advancing chain pharmacy and supplier partners.

Read more: https://www.nacds.org/steve-anderson-announces-retirement-as-president-and-ceo-of-nacds-after-two-decades-of-transformational-leadership/

02/01/2026

📰 "As pharmacy closures accelerate, the cost of inaction becomes increasingly severe. When a pharmacy closes, patients lose access, communities lose a trusted healthcare provider, and small businesses disappear," says Brian Clark, CEO of the South Carolina Pharmacy Association.

"South Carolina can protect patient choice and stabilize access to care by advancing meaningful pharmacy benefit manager reform, starting with H.4791 and S.342. Delay is not an option."

We couldn’t agree more. PBM practices are driving pharmacy closures, limiting patient choice, and undermining access to care across South Carolina — particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Now is the moment for state leaders to act and deliver real PBM reform that protects patients, preserves local pharmacies, and strengthens the healthcare infrastructure communities rely on every day.

Check out the full column 👇

Two bills in SC Legislature address urgent need for pharmacy benefit manager reform to prevent closure of essential pharmacies, protect patient access to care

01/22/2026

As the House works to advance critical pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms in the appropriations bill, pharmacists are in attendance at the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on insurance issues to underscore the need to get these reforms across the finish line — lowering patients’ drug costs and protecting access to the local pharmacies they rely on.

12/04/2025

Yesterday, during a Senate HELP Committee hearing on lowering healthcare costs, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine pointed to as an achievable, bipartisan win that is ready for the taking. Enacting these already agreed-upon reforms would deliver meaningful relief for patients and pharmacies.

Thank you, Senator Kaine, for your leadership on this issue, working to ensure we can rein in the harmful practices of PBMs, realizing lower out-of-pocket costs for patients and helping to safeguard access to the trusted, local pharmacies on which they rely.

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Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, December 3, 2025

11/17/2025

Last week in POLITICO: Senator Ron Wyden is rallying support for critical pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms. Thank you, Senator Wyden, for your continued leadership on this issue, working to fix the broken PBM system, which puts profits over patients and blocks access to affordable drugs!

📰 https://www.politico.com/newsletters/inside-congress/2025/11/14/decision-time-on-ndaa-00651573

09/09/2025

Did you see a familiar face on TV this morning? NACDS Chair Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer at Walgreens, joined Good Morning America to discuss the flu shot and how Americans can protect themselves as we head into fall!

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With flu season just weeks away, "GMA" and sponsor Walgreens share how you can get your vaccine now that shots are available.

09/08/2025

Last week, during a Senate Committee on Finance hearing, Sen. Marsha Blackburn highlighted the critical need for pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. Thank you, Senator Blackburn, for your leadership on this issue, working to ensure we can rein in the harmful practices of PBMs and keep our nation's pharmacies open!

Thank you, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for your commitment to working alongside Congress to get PBM reform legislation across the finish line!

08/21/2025

The 2025 NACDS Total Store Expo kicks off this weekend, and it comes at a decisive time for the industry as we address the intertwined challenges of rising chronic disease rates, diminishing pharmacy access, and the predatory practices of PBMs.

In his new column for Chain Drug Review, NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson puts it plainly: “The future of pharmacy must be defined, secured and created today – and the future belongs to those who seize the moment at NACDS Total Store Expo.”



Read more 👇

Steve Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores looks at attendees embracing technology, advancing public policy and uniting around common goals as the industry prepares for the show.

07/30/2025

Great news for seniors and families across the country! 👏 The introduction of the bipartisan Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS) in the Senate marks a major step forward in expanding access to essential healthcare. Thanks to the leadership of Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Mark Warner, this bill would allow Medicare Part B to cover key pharmacist services wherever state law permits – improving access, especially in communities facing healthcare provider shortages.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) today commended the introduction of the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS) in the U.S. Senate. A bipartisan step toward increased healthcare access for our nation’s seniors, this legislation — championed by Senators ...

07/10/2025

📣 NACDS commends Congressman Buddy Carter for his leadership in introducing the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act.

For too long, PBMs have operated unchecked, wielding outsized influence as intermediaries in the prescription drug supply chain, driving up medication costs and forcing pharmacies to close.

Read more ⤵️

Today marks a defining moment in the journey to reshape American healthcare. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) strongly commends Representatives Buddy Carter (R-GA), Rick Allen (R-GA), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN...

07/03/2025

Thank you to Governor JB Pritzker for signing House Bill 1697, the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, into law. This is a decisive victory for Illinois patients, pharmacies, and communities that will deliver robust , prescription drug pricing, pharmacy access, and health insurance requirements across the state.

NACDS extends its gratitude to Representative Natalie Manley and Senator Dave Koehler for maintaining momentum, championing HB 1697, and ensuring its passage in the Illinois General Assembly.

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The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) is celebrating a decisive victory for Illinois patients, pharmacies, and communities as Governor J.B. Pritzker signs House Bill 1697, the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, into law. This landmark legislation delivers robust reforms to pharmacy...

07/02/2025

Thank you to Senator Benton Sawrey and Representatives Grant Campbell, MD, Cody Huneycutt, and Heather Rhyne for your leadership in the passage of HB 67, which allows pharmacists to test and treat influenza, providing valuable and accessible care to North Carolinians.