National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

10/09/2026

It’s a pivotal moment for pharmacy, and NACDS will continue to shape its future, with our members leading the way.

A message from our incoming President and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Wysong.

10/06/2026

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) today announced that its Board of Directors has elected Michael Wysong, currently chief executive officer of CARE Pharmacies, as the Association’s next president and chief executive officer, effective December 1, 2026. Wysong will succeed Steven C. Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM, who is retiring after 20 years of transformational leadership, as of December 31, 2026.

Read more: https://www.nacds.org/nacds-names-michael-r-wysong-next-president-and-ceo/

10/05/2026

New York just approved higher 2027 health insurance rates, and the public conversation about why fails to include one key player: pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the middlemen that decide what a health plan pays for a drug and what a pharmacy is paid for it, and that often keep a share of the manufacturer rebates tied to the drug costs insurers cite when raising premiums. At the same time, these PBMs routinely pay pharmacies less than it costs to acquire and dispense patients' medicines, and when pharmacies can no longer absorb those losses and close their doors, patients are left without convenient access to care.

A new column from the Community Pharmacy Association of New York State makes the case for the Patient Access to Pharmacy Act, which stops those below-cost payments from PBMs so New Yorkers can keep the pharmacies and pharmacists they trust. Governor Kathy Hochul, when PAPA reaches your desk, please sign it into law.

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has just announced 2027 health insurance rates across New York and has approved an average increase of 6% for the individual market and 8% for the small group market. There’s already a long overdue conversation underway about why those numbers look the wa...

09/23/2026

Last week, Anthony Pudlo, PharmD, MBA, MS, CEO of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, testified before the House Energy & Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee in support of H.R. 3164, the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act / Main Street Pharmacy Access Act.

As the voice of pharmacy during the hearing, Anthony testified that pharmacists are already trained and trusted to do more. The only thing standing in the way is the outdated policy that keeps Medicare from paying for care they're already authorized to provide under state law.

Enacting H.R. 3164 would give seniors faster, more convenient access to testing and treatment for certain routine, common illnesses at the pharmacy counter they already rely on, in rural and urban communities alike.

Anthony is pictured below with NACDS' Senior Director of Congressional Relations Kate Ilahi, and Congressional champions and pharmacists Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN).

Momentum keeps building for H.R. 3164. The legislation and its Senate companion (S. 2426) have been co-sponsored by 167 members of Congress across both chambers — reflecting the broad, cross-party recognition of the value pharmacists deliver to their communities.

NACDS and our Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition partners thank Dr. Pudlo for making the case and continue to urge swift action by Congress so seniors can access care — from symptom to solution — at their neighborhood pharmacy.

Read more: https://www.nacds.org/h-r-3164-takes-center-stage-at-house-energy-and-commerce-subcommittee-hearing/

09/15/2026

📺 This morning, at 10:15 a.m. ET, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health will consider H.R. 3164 (Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act / Main Street Pharmacy Access Act) during a legislative hearing.

The bill is critical to improving seniors' access to care, allowing Medicare Part B to reimburse pharmacists for test-and-treat services related to common respiratory illnesses in states that already authorize pharmacists to provide them.

Anthony Pudlo, CEO of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, will testify, bringing the pharmacy perspective to the hearing and explaining why timely access to pharmacist-provided care is so critical for seniors, particularly those in rural and underserved communities.

More than a quarter of the current Congress has cosponsored the legislation across both chambers, and it is supported by more than 170 stakeholder organizations.

Tune in here:

The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.

08/12/2026

NACDS Is All In.

At the 2026 NACDS Total Store Expo, we’re previewing our new strategic framework — a roadmap built around what matters most for pharmacy's future: elevating local pharmacies as trusted clinical providers, expanding total-store health and wellness, modernizing pharmacy operations, advocating for fair reimbursement, and delivering more value for members.

This is where pharmacy's next chapter begins. See you in Boston August 15-17!

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/