NACDS applauds the Trump administration’s rural health focus

WASHINGTON — National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) President and CEO Steven C. Anderson issued the following statement today about the Trump Administration’s White House event, The Great, Historic Investment in Rural Health, featuring President Donald J. Trump, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and other senior healthcare officials:

“On behalf of NACDS-member pharmacies, pharmacy teams, and the Americans they serve, I was honored to participate in today’s White House event to recognize the Rural Health Transformation Program — which is fully underway with the recent funding announcement issued by CMS.

“We commend the Trump Administration’s commitment to bringing healthcare within reach for more Americans, and the clear recognition of the irreplaceable role that pharmacies and pharmacy teams perform in that crucial work.

“Pharmacies bring an unmatched combination of scale, access, and trust across the country. In rural communities, 79% of Americans say it’s easy to access care at pharmacies — ranking them the most accessible healthcare destination.

“Since the creation of this program, NACDS has worked with the federal and state governments alike to help fuel the program’s success. It is gratifying that 35 states included pharmacies specifically in their plans to implement rural health transformation — and as RHTP implementation moves forward, NACDS is continuing to work across all states to advance pharmacy-centered solutions that will help deliver on the promise of better rural health.

“In addition to more fully leveraging pharmacies through initiatives like this one, it also remains crucial to enact real pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform to prevent forced pharmacy closures that impact all Americans — especially the most vulnerable.

“We look forward to continuing to advocate for, and to implement, meaningful reforms and innovative approaches that will fix what is broken in healthcare. We appreciate the Trump Administration’s historic engagement with the Rural Health Transformation Program, and for recognizing the role of pharmacies in today’s event.”