ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has endorsed three pieces of legislation that it believes would help increase patients’ access to palliative care services and resources.

In letters to Senate and House bill sponsors and cosponsors, NACDS expressed support for H.R. 1339, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act; S. 641, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act; and H.R. 1666, the Patient Centered Quality Care for Life Act.

“As health care professionals on the front lines of providing needed services to millions of Americans, we deeply understand the requirement for a comprehensive approach to pain management and the increasing need for palliative care,” NACDS wrote to lawmakers. “However, access to palliative care information and providers has not kept pace with the need for such ­services.”

The companion Senate and House bills S. 641 and H.R. 1339 would increase resources devoted to the education and training of palliative care professionals by establishing palliative care and hospice education centers.

H.R. 1666 would increase funding for the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on the management of symptoms and on palliative and survivorship care in order to improve the quality of care, as well as direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve public outreach on this pressing health care issue.

“We believe the legislation would go a long way in addressing a crucial health care need and, in the long term, help improve the quality of life of patients dealing with chronic pain issues,” NACDS said in its letter of support for H.R. 1666. “Additionally the bill would establish a national quality-of-life education and awareness grants program initiative for seriously ill patients, families of such patients and health professionals.

“The goal of the grants program would be to encourage an increased demand for, and delivery of, integrated and patient-centered care for managing pain and symptoms and improving the quality of life of such patients.”

The letter, signed by NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson, stressed that the trade organization “believes the legislation would go a long way in addressing a crucial health care need and, in the long term, would help to improve the quality of life of patients dealing with chronic pain issues.”

In the letters, NACDS urged advancement in the House and Senate of all three bills in the interest of the millions of patients in need of palliative care services.