National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

06/09/2026

👏 Yesterday, Governor Phil Scott signed H.588 into law — giving Vermont pharmacists and pharmacy technicians the authority to test for and treat common illnesses like strep throat and the flu.

For Vermonters — especially in rural communities where timely care can be hard to reach — that means getting answers and starting treatment at a place they already know and trust: their local pharmacy. With more than one in four Vermonters now living in a pharmacy desert, the pharmacies that remain have never been more essential as access points.

NACDS was proud to partner with the Vermont Department of Health, Office of Professional Regulation, and the Vermont Association of Chain Drug Stores (VACDS) to advocate for the bill’s passage — and we thank the bill's sponsors for their leadership in getting it across the finish line.

With H. 588 now law, Vermont has a real opportunity to deliver more convenient access to care in the communities that need it most. Vermont has $195 million in year-one Rural Health Transformation funding with expanding pharmacy test-and-treat capacity as part of the strategy. Directing those dollars toward test-and-treat expansion will help patients get answers sooner and begin treatment faster, strengthening pharmacies as community-based partners in a more coordinated rural healthcare system.

Read more: https://www.nacds.org/governor-scott-signs-h-588-into-law-expanding-pharmacist-test-and-treat-authority-for-vermont-patients/

05/22/2026

Governor Lee has signed the FAIR Rx Act into law — a landmark win for Tennessee pharmacies and patients. 👏

Thank you to the Tennessee Pharmacists Association for their vital leadership advocating for this bill, and to sponsor Bobby Harshbarger for TN Senate District 4, whose steadfast commitment was instrumental in its passage. NACDS was proud to work alongside TPA and the bill sponsors to help protect patient access and affordability and ensure a level playing field for pharmacies.

Read more: https://www.nacds.org/governor-lee-signs-fair-rx-act-into-law-delivering-landmark-victory-for-tennessee-pharmacies-and-patients/

05/21/2026

👏 This morning, the House Committee on Ways and Means passed the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act (H.R. 3164) out of committee — a major step toward giving seniors easier access to care at their local pharmacy.

The legislation, authored by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), would formally recognize pharmacists as healthcare providers under Medicare, enabling beneficiaries to receive pharmacist-provided testing and treatment for certain respiratory illnesses, such as flu, strep throat, and RSV, in states that already authorize pharmacists to perform these services.

Read more: https://www.nacds.org/nacds-applauds-house-ways-and-means-committee-passage-of-legislation-expanding-seniors-access-to-pharmacy-services/

05/13/2026

Last night, the U.S. House passed the bipartisan, NACDS-supported Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (H.R. 2853) by a vote of 348-60 — a major win for retailers, suppliers, and consumers. 👏

The bill now heads to the Senate.

Read more: https://www.nacds.org/nacds-commends-house-passage-of-bill-to-combat-organized-retail-crime/

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.