NACDS CEO meets with HHS Secretary Price
WASHINGTON — National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and CEO Steven C. Anderson, participated in a listening session on Thursday following an invitation by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
The session was one of a series of events intended to gather information and policy ideas from a wide variety of stakeholders which relate to the affordability, accessibility and availability of drugs for patients. Anderson presented at the roundtable, among other representatives of the provider, pharmaceutical distribution, hospital, pharmacist and pharmacy communities. Additional sessions are soliciting the views of patient groups, insurers, providers, manufacturers and thought leaders.
“NACDS appreciates the opportunity to share pharmacy’s insights on this important issue for patients, for the industry and for the entire nation,” Anderson said. “We shared with Secretary Price the finding that eight-in-10 respondents to a recent survey said that pharmacists are credible sources of information about how to save money on prescription drugs — the highest rating of healthcare professionals in a poll conducted by Morning Consult and commissioned by NACDS. This is a result of pharmacists’ extensive work with patients to lower prescription costs through the use of generic drugs, to navigate insurance plans, and to participate in pharmacy drug discount programs.
“We also described the important role of medicines and the important role of pharmacy-based services in helping patients take their medications as prescribed, and what this means for health outcomes and healthcare economics,” Anderson continued.
“We submitted for the record NACDS’ positions on topics such as increasing transparency in Medicare Part D in the use of direct and indirect remuneration fees; boosting medication adherence through medication therapy management; strategies for increasing the use of cost-effective generic and biosimilar medications; closing loopholes in the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program; and potential transparency proposals that could make the dynamics of drug pricing clearer for consumers, for the federal government and for drug supply chain stakeholders — potentially leading to lower prices through marketplace competition,” NACDS’ president and CEO said.
Earlier this year, NACDS launched its “Access Agenda” to demonstrate pharmacy’s commitment to engaging on challenging health policy issues, just as pharmacies help to meet the needs of patients in communities nationwide every day.