NACDS utilizes Rapid Response program to dispute inaccurate assertions on drug importation

ALEXANDRIA, Va. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores implemented its Rapid Response Program, following a recent editorial on drug importation.

NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson penned a response to the editor to the Delaware County Daily Times (Delaware County, Pa.) after an editorial ran on Aug. 19, which cited NACDS and asserted that chain drug stores should not be concerned about where prescription medications come from so long as they are less expensive for consumers to purchase.

“Pharmacies are convenient, accessible healthcare providers. Your neighborhood pharmacist counsels patients in obtaining the most cost effective and appropriate medications and therapies to improve their health outcomes,” Anderson wrote to the paper. “However, we do not believe that consumer safety should be compromised to achieve lower costs. Safety cannot be ensured in any system that allows for the personal importation of prescription medications.  In addition, individuals who obtain prescription medications through a personal importation scheme do not have a licensed pharmacist available to consult with them about using the medications safely and effectively.”

The NACDS Rapid Response Program was created to address inaccurate or inappropriate portrayals of pharmacy, or call attention to an issue that impacts the pharmacy industry.