One of the most noteworthy aspects of the 10th iteration of NACDS Total Store Expo, which was held last month in San Diego, was the forward- and outward-looking orientation exhibited by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ leadership. In remarks during the business program, Mike Wysong, chief executive officer of CARE Pharmacies and the association’s current chairman, and NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson stressed retail pharmacy’s intense focus on what comes next and highlighted ongoing efforts to take the industry’s message to a broader range of stakeholders.

Mike Wysong

Industry groups are frequently insular organizations, but NACDS has always been committed to building bridges and working in sync with like-minded entities. Wysong’s activities since becoming NACDS chairman last April are a case in point.

“At the end of the Annual Meeting, I issued a rallying cry to our ‘artists’ to collaborate in new and innovative ways, and to begin that collaboration now,” he said at TSE. “I also attempted to provide you with a frame for our painting of collaboration with some near-term and longer-term goals. …

“For my part, I went back to what I know — which I referred to before as ‘just showing up.’ I had the opportunity to show up and represent NACDS and the NACDS Foundation at several exciting events. I looked at this as an opportunity to lead by example and a way to ensure our collective success on our five main goals.”

During the months between the Annual Meeting and TSE, Wysong traveled to Tufts University in Boston for a conference on food as medicine, as part of the association’s work following its participation in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. Wysong also attended the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York’s annual meeting, where Medicaid and PBM reform were at the top of the agenda; the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy conference, where he stressed ways to unleash the full potential of the profession; and the annual convention of the National Pharmaceutical Association to examine health disparities and what can be done to alleviate them. In addition, Wysong worked with AARP and other groups to support the 48 million people in the U.S. who regularly provide care for another adult.

Crediting previous NACDS chairmen and other board members with launching many of those initiatives, Wysong asserted that by identifying and seizing relevant opportunities, community pharmacy will extend its reach and impact on the health and well-being of Americans: “The pandemic has come and gone. There is a heightened sense of awareness of pharmacies’ growing capacity and capabilities. Progress has been made legislatively on the PBM and DIR front.

“There is an emerging opportunity for pharmacy to adequately address the systemic issues driving up the unsustainable costs of health care in this country, and provider status is beginning to take hold. I embrace you, and I lean forward and whisper one word in your ear. That word is
‘create.’ ”

Anderson presented further evidence of the effectiveness of the association’s partnership strategy when he unveiled Nourish My Health, an educational campaign cosponsored by NACDS, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and Tufts University’s Food Is Medicine Institute. The initiative will promote consumption of healthy foods to help stave off and, in some cases, reverse diet-related diseases, and encourage individuals to get regular health and wellness screenings.

“NACDS and Morning Consult polling shows that 80% of Americans support a role for pharmacists in helping patients understand their nutritional choices — and prevent chronic disease,” said Anderson. “What a great lead-in to a total store and total person approach. And what a great example of that triumph of cooperation through NACDS that features the value of pharmacy, the collaboration of retailers and suppliers, and the bond with the American public.”

If retail pharmacy is to overcome the serious threats it still faces — first and foremost, the application of DIR fees under Medicare and other PBM practices — and unlock its latent potential, NACDS and its members need to win the active support of everyone involved in the health care system — patients, providers, payers and policy makers.

The association has long been a forceful advocate for the profession in Washington, D.C., and state capitals. In recent years, it has extended that outreach through television commercials centered on pharmacy’s contributions during the COVID pandemic and greater engagement with other organizations dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to quality health care.

Building lasting coalitions is an essential step toward securing retail pharmacy’s position as the first place people turn when they want to enhance their health and well-being. Wysong and Anderson are right to exhort people in the industry to show up and show out.