NACDS Leaders: Pharmacy is a Catalyst for Change and Innovation, and NACDS TSE is Where It Happens

National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Chair Kevin Host, senior vice president of pharmacy, Walmart, and NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson delivered a clear message at today’s Business Program at the 2024 NACDS Total Store Expo (TSE) in Boston, MA: the NACDS TSE is a unique place for suppliers and retailers alike to come together through NACDS to confront the most pressing issues facing the industry today — and to explore new innovations for the future — so that NACDS members can better meet Americans’ total health and wellness needs.

Addressing meeting attendees, Host opened his remarks, declaring, “There is one thing that shines through in every conversation I have had – your passion for the customer. Meeting the customer’s needs is what drives us all to do what we do. A vibrant retail market benefits suppliers across the board and I believe that the Total Store Expo is the best venue for connecting all of us. Together, we are developing and delivering the products and experiences that our customers need and want. Thank you all for being here today and thank you for taking advantage of the NACDS Total Store Expo.”

Anderson echoed Host’s thoughts, marking the NACDS TSE as a “laboratory for innovation” — thanks to the strong engagement of the NACDS membership.

He said, “I cannot overstate it: this meeting is one of the top strategic imperatives of this trade association. NACDS meetings are about more than buying and selling today. They are about testing, improving, and advancing ideas that will create your future. This is a laboratory for innovation in products and services – and in how to bring them to market.”

Host went on to describe the various Food Is Medicine projects that the Association is undertaking as part of NACDS’ ongoing Health and Wellness Innovation Initiative.

Specifically, Host talked about two distinct commitments that the Association made to the September 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health (White House Conference): NACDS’ Nourish My Health public education campaign and an ongoing partnership between NACDS and the Milken Institute related to Food is Medicine.

On Nourish My Health — an initiative that was launched in collaboration with leading health organizations and which emphasizes the importance of preventive screenings and healthy foods to reduce the risk of diet-related heart disease, diabetes, and cancer — Host noted:

“Nourish My Health is creating messaging to dispel misperceptions and, where needed, help guide customers to food access programs. Participating in Nourish My Health is an opportunity to highlight what our stores and pharmacies do to promote health and wellness. It helps to establish our role as a healthcare destination.”

To date, Nourish My Health has garnered nearly 180 million impressions, reaching Americans across the country, including those who live in rural areas and underserved communities and focusing on regions with disproportionate risk of diet-related diseases.

On NACDS’ ongoing partnership with the prestigious Milken Institute — a collaboration which came about thanks to a “serendipitous connection” made during the September 2022 White House Conference — Host stated:

“Both NACDS and the Milken Institute shared a common vision to make Food Is Medicine more accessible to all. Together, with NACDS’ expertise on pharmacies and the Milken Institute’s expertise on food systems, we began to explore how pharmacies could be leveraged to advance Food Is Medicine initiatives.”

As part of this partnership, the Milken Institute, with support from NACDS, released a report in June 2024 called “Catalyzing Action for Pharmacist-Provided Food Is Medicine Care.” The report offers 12 recommendations, supported by 34 actions, that would facilitate the integration of pharmacies and pharmacists into a patient’s care team to improve the impact of Food Is Medicine interventions.

Similarly, Anderson described NACDS’ continued prioritization of pharmacy data interoperability — a core element of NACDS’ vision for the future of retail health alongside value-based care and broad health and wellness topics, such as Food is Medicine.

He said, “NACDS is using a Leavitt Partners report – which we commissioned and which was released in April 2024 – as a checklist to fix the lack of pharmacy data interoperability that exists. We do not write reports to sit on shelves – we create tools for change.

“NACDS is defining the path for this association to lead and steer advancement in health and wellness innovation. Through NACDS’ vibrant Health and Wellness Innovation Initiative, we can help Americans improve their ‘health span,’ in addition to their life span.”

Anderson also focused on the NACDS TSE’s role in advancing another important calling of NACDS — the high calling to thrive as an industry that identifies and overcomes threats.

Notably, Anderson the described the crucial need for PBM reform now – at the federal and state levels – and how we are at a tipping point of awareness in the nation’s capital and in the states.

He explained: “When we started talking with government about DIR fees and PBM reform, eyes would glaze over. It was simply too complicated. But now, as understanding deepens, eyes light up, voices rise, and the call for PBM reform grows louder and more fervent.

“Today, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, and in the state legislatures, understand what it means for their constituents, communities, employers, and pharmacies when PBM middlemen profit at their expense. NACDS has been diligently advocating and explaining this tirelessly, peeling back and unraveling the secrecy, complexity and opaqueness that PBMs hide behind. The ball is now in Congress’s court for action and my message to Congress is this: get PBM reform done now.”

Anderson went on to describe how NACDS is keeping up the pressure on PBM reform, including:

• A March 2024 NACDS-hosted, Capitol Hill press conference that convened more than 300 pharmacy advocates. The event included Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), urging for PBM reform now.
• A major seven-figure national and local advertising campaign – “Time Is Now” – featuring footage from the March press event and urging that PBM reform is must-pass legislation in the 118^thCongress
• The participation of more than 30 pharmacists and pharmacy representatives in a recent U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on PBM business practices. NACDS showed in full force to communicate the vital need for reforms at the federal level that will prevent “pharmaceutical benefit manipulation” across all markets – Medicare, Medicaid and commercial.

He also highlighted coverage of the issue in major media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fox News Channel, NBC Nightly News, and many more.

Additionally, Anderson discussed NACDS’ continued push for federal provider status legislation, the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (HR1770/S2477), alongside the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition. The bipartisan bill would ensure that seniors in Medicare have access to pharmacy services.

Host concluded his remarks, looking to the future: “Pharmacy has always been a catalyst for change and innovation, and I know it will continue to be for a long time after I am gone. We have a great story, and it is one that is still being written. Together we are becoming an ever more important source of health and wellness for our communities. I look forward to working alongside all of you in making our vision a reality.”

Today’s Business Program also included remarks by General (Ret.) Mark A. Milley, 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who discussed the major world conflicts shaping the industry and the nation today.

In describing pharmacy’s role in meeting Americans’ needs, particularly during the recent public health emergency, Milley said, “Not everyone who serves our country is in uniform. Each of you plays a critical role in the national security of the United States. Millions of lives have been saved thanks to your efforts.”

Editor’s Note: Photos will be made available via Flickr.