National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

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.”



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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.

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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.

07/02/2025

Thank you to Governor Josh Stein for signing HB 67 into law. This legislation includes a commonsense provision that empowers pharmacists to test and treat for flu, helping North Carolinians access care quickly and conveniently.

HB 67 is a practical step toward a more responsive, community-based health care system — and a win for patients across the state.

06/17/2025

Thank you to the Senate Finance Committee for including critical Medicaid in its version of the budget reconciliation bill.

👉 If enacted, the legislation would demand full transparency and accountability from PBMs, requiring 100% pass-through of ingredient costs and professional dispensing fees directly to pharmacies, eliminating spread pricing, and ensuring that Medicaid managed care pharmacy reimbursement reflects the actual cost of medications. These reforms are among those needed to confront PBM middleman tactics that inflate Americans’ drug costs, that force pharmacies to close, that make healthcare more remote and out of touch in communities throughout the nation, and that further burden taxpayers.

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06/13/2025

Thank you, Speaker Craig J. Coughlin and Chairman Roy Freiman, for leading the charge on and highlighting the threat of pharmacy deserts in New Jersey. Your leadership is vital to protecting patient access and community care 🙌

NJ pharmacists and advocates held a press conference on Monday to speak out for tighter regulations on pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.