Anderson remains fully engaged as retirement from NACDS nears

WASHINGTON — Steve Anderson, who will step down at the end of the year as president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, was honored by the organization at a reception in Washington, D.C., last week. The event, which took place at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, brought together several hundred NACDS members and staffers, CPG suppliers, and leaders of other associations to recognize Anderson’s impact – not only on chain pharmacy and healthcare, but on the broader sphere where business and public policy intersect. Following remarks by Dave Warner, NACDS chairman and president and CEO of KPH Healthcare Services, and Matt Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, Anderson shared some thoughts about his career and the importance of NACDS’ work, which will be carried on by his successor, Mike Wysong, who is currently wrapping up his tenure as CEO of CARE Pharmacies. 

There’s much to say about Anderson’s reshaping of NACDS’ mission. Arguably, his most significant contributions revolve around public policy advocacy, a strength evident in a recent memo to chain members. Headed “Ready for Every Outcome,” the piece addresses tomorrow’s midterm elections and what they mean for pharmacy operators. With the entire federal House of Representatives and a third of the Senate – plus 36 governorships and 6,000 state legislative seats – up for grabs, the landscape for business will look very different than it does today. 

Laying the groundwork for NACDS and its members to respond to the new realities effectively, Anderson wrote, “Here is what we already know: no matter how the votes fall, there will be change – and an unusually large amount of it.”

A seasoned executive whose influence on public policy dates back to at least the George W. Bush administration, Anderson understands the difference thorough preparation can make when dealing with lawmakers and regulators. Throughout his tenure, he has ensured that chain pharmacy is equipped for whatever comes next. 

“Planning for the post-election landscape is a discipline NACDS practices every cycle,” Anderson wrote. “Year in and year out, we think ahead and map scenarios for the federal and state dynamics that follow election day — and this time, the sheer volume of new faces makes that preparation all the more valuable.”

As a result, NACDS and its allies have succeeded in raising the industry’s profile in both Washington and state capitals. When Anderson joined the association in 2006, many policymakers took community pharmacy for granted and didn’t fully grasp the issues shaping its future. Today, pharmacy is viewed as an integral part of the healthcare system and enjoys broad-based bipartisan support. The industry’s higher profile helped bring about meaningful progress on PBM reform at the federal level, including passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 in February and the just-announced Department of Labor rule requiring PBMs to be more transparent about how they are compensated.

The association and its members are poised to answer the call whatever occurs in the midterm elections.

“That work is already well under way,” Anderson wrote. “NACDS has been meeting with many individuals seeking office, and we have plans to engage the newly elected — federal and state officeholders alike — once the results are in.

“A real advantage for us is that our issues, by and large, are highly bipartisan. The value of pharmacy-provided care is something leaders across the political spectrum can recognize and support. Our purpose in all of this is straightforward and nonpartisan. Put simply, we have to get the politics right in order to get the policy right. No matter who wins [the midterms], pharmacies and the patients they serve will need a strong, steady, and well-prepared voice in the conversations that follow.”

As he has during the past two decades, Anderson is making sure that the association and its members have the relationships and resources they need to meet the post-election moment.