COVID-19 vaccination speed and equity; “DIR fee” reform; organized retail crime among key topics for virtual advocacy March 3-4.
“Pharmacies are deeply committed to recovery efforts to re-open America by accelerating COVID vaccinations, expanding COVID testing, administering preventative vaccines, and promoting better community health,” NACDS tells key House subcommittee
A letter to Congress asks that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "promptly undertakes the requisite rulemaking so that the agency is able to establish a January 1, 2022 deadline for EPCS compliance” to help address opioid-abuse issues.
NACDS has aligned with the March of Dimes’ 2020 #BlanketChange campaign, launched today to improve the health and wellness of moms and babies through improved healthcare equity, access and prevention.
The campaign will raise awareness of tragedies such as the finding that Black women are three times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes nationwide. It will translate awareness into action on policies focused on:
“Pharmacists and pharmacies are among the most trusted and accessible healthcare destinations and play a vital role in addressing the needs of those who have suffered from disparities in care. NACDS strongly appreciates and supports the work of March of Dimes to bring these important needs to light,” said NACDS President & CEO Steven C. Anderson.
NACDS’ alignment with the March of Dimes’ #BlanketChange initiative complements its ongoing focus on healthcare disparities and the social determinants of health. Most recently, NACDS has advanced these issues through its flu-vaccination communications campaign, its advocacy on COVID-19 issues, and its commitment to social justice issues.
NACDS also has engaged with thought leaders, advocates and government agencies such as the World Health Care Congress, the American Public Health Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Patient groups urging action in next COVID bill represent 200 million Americans living with cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV, mental health issues, liver disease, lupus and other conditions.
NACDS issues an open letter to Congress urging a necessary step to help scale and sustain COVID-19 testing.
On June 24, the NACDS Board of Directors “virtually” met with eight key members of the Administration and Congress.
More than 240 entities urged Congressional leaders to act on a key reform to lower patients’ prescription drug prices at the pharmacy counter and to help prevent pharmacy closures that jeopardize access.
Letter to Congress, Administration urges immediate steps “to further optimize the critical role pharmacy plays in helping to respond to this national emergency”
NACDS' opinion piece cites a Drug Channels Institute analysis that DIR fees “have grown faster than most people realize” and reached a record $9.1 billion in 2019.
