NACDS President: Technological Innovation, Policy Initiatives Key Focuses for Future

In an interview with Pharmacy Times® on the exhibit floor of Total Store Expo (TSE) in Boston, Massachusetts, Steve Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM, president of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), discussed some of the focuses of the association and how they reflected on the events at TSE. Anderson also discussed the new visibility on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and how NACDS will continue to work to ensure transparency in the health care industry.

Pharmacy Times®: How do you think the events this weekend at TSE reflect on NACDS’ current initiatives in the chain drug store industry?

Steve Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM: I think that one is our focus on innovation at this show, but also it allows us as a platform to talk about our priorities of NACDS in the public policy area. We do a lot in public policy. We've been very successful at it over the years. We're involved in policy at the federal and the state level, and it's a way for us to come together and to talk about those ideas as well. We also have a board of directors meeting here where top management in our industry, who serve on our board, come to this meeting and discuss, you know, I get my direction from the board. That's what I do. And at the same time, you know, allows them to come down on the trade show floor and to meet with the exhibitors. So, it's a win-win all the way around.

Pharmacy Times: Given the rapid changes we see daily in the industry, what do you think the exhibits and events at future TSEs will look like?

Anderson: I think, I'm very excited about this, the role that technology is playing. There are some fascinating exhibits here in terms of the role that technology is going to play. I am a firm believer that we spend too much time in health care focusing on a person's lifespan and not that person's health span. That they can lead healthier and happier lives for longer if they focus on their health at the beginning. There's a book that I'm loving and promoting right here, Peter Attia’s book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. The issue [is], that we're on a period of time called “Medicine 2.0” but it's like, what's the next part of medicine with artificial intelligence and all this research we're doing on brain health, as an example. We had Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon, who's the chief medical correspondent for CNN, and you know, the work that he's been doing is extraordinary. So, it's those kinds of things that we're seeing throughout this meeting and on the trade show floor. And you know, each of these products play a role in how we help Americans lead healthier lives.

Pharmacy Times: What are some takeaways from TSE as the weekend comes to a close?

Anderson: Well, I think the takeaway is, this is a vibrant industry. You know, we read a lot of negativity about what's going on in Washington, and we're in the middle of an election cycle, which, you know, with the election coming up in November, people are stressed about that, you know. And there's all different reasons to be filled probably with anxiety on a lot of things. But when you come here, you really understand the free enterprise system. One of the programs I like is Meet the Market, where we have, you know, these 10-minute kind of speed-dating meetings where suppliers come in and meet with our retailers. And it's almost a, it's a perfect example of American capitalism, with buyer and seller meeting, and finding ways to, from a free enterprise private sector way, to help people lead healthier lives, while government now is generally in chaos and paralyzed just because of the political tensions and the polarization in the country. But there's so much, there's so much more. The private sector in this country is so big, and that happens right here.

Pharmacy Times: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Anderson: Well, I think the one thing, from my perspective, this industry is extraordinary, and it's powerful. It's big. It's doing incredible things. It's not only improving lives, it's saving lives. And I think there's so much more we can do. And I think one of the interesting things that I've discovered; people are finding and finally understanding what a PBM is. We had our lobbying day, RX Impact Day on Capitol Hill in Washington. We had a press conference outside the Capitol. It was a beautiful blue sky. The Capitol was glistening white, right? And we had these pharmacists, you know, standing there with Republicans and Democratic senators on the finance committee pushing PBM reform. We've been hammering that, you know, in a national buy, we're on about 95 radio stations around the country, and people are finally understanding what a PBM is. And I think that provides an opportunity, because PBMs have been hiding behind the opaqueness of the health care system. But once they discover that then, you know, when they go up to a pharmacy counter saying, “sorry, you know that's not covered under your plan,” or “you've got to get a more expensive drug.” They don't understand who's making those decisions. Now they know it's a PBM and the health plans.