Pictured here at the U.S. Capitol, from left to right, are: Brian Nightengale, president, Good Neighbor Pharmacy; NACDS Treasurer Richard Ashworth, president, operations, Walgreen Co.; Kevin Hourican, executive vice president, CVS Health, and president, CVS Pharmacy; NACDS Vice Chairman Chris Lane, executive vice president, Wakefern Food Corp./ShopRite; NACDS Chairman Mark Panzer, senior vice president, health and wellness, Albertsons Companies; Craig Painter, executive chairman of the Board, Kinney Drugs, Inc.; NACDS Past Chairman Randy Edeker, chairman, CEO and president, Hy-Vee, Inc.; NACDS Past Chairman Alex Gourlay, co-chief operating officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and president, Walgreen Co.; and NACDS president and CEO Steven Anderson.

WASHINGTON — Members of the NACDS Board of Directors traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to meet with ten Senators and Representatives with pivotal leadership and committee posts, with Administration officials, and with key Congressional staff.

The Board’s meeting agenda mirrored the NACDS “Access Agenda” — which conveys the sense that just as pharmacists provide access to better healthcare every day, they also are well-positioned to provide access to health policy solutions. The Access Agenda includes three components: the proactive offense of enhancing access to newer services (ex., federal provider status and state scope of practice); the tough defense of preserving patients’ access to care (ex., direct and indirect remuneration – or DIR – fee reform and broader reimbursement and drug-pricing issues); and working as partners for stronger and safer communities (ex., opioid issues).