The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) has submitted robust comments calling for the full inclusion of pharmacies in the nation’s health technology infrastructure. This action comes as Department of Health and Human Services agencies — the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC) — seek strategies to create a more resilient, modern, and patient-centered health technology ecosystem.
Pharmacies are not only the most accessible healthcare providers in America; they are essential partners in delivering better health outcomes. Yet, despite their frontline role, pharmacies remain largely sidelined from critical interoperability initiatives and incentive programs. NACDS’ message to the Administration is firm: it’s time to leverage and empower pharmacists in federal health data initiatives.
“The meaningful inclusion of pharmacies in the nation’s healthcare data infrastructure is essential and overdue,” said Steven C. Anderson, NACDS president and CEO. “Despite being the most accessible healthcare providers in the country, pharmacists are deemed ineligible for the CMS Electronic Health Record Incentive Program because they are not classified as healthcare providers under the Social Security Act.”
The comments underscored that while many Medicaid programs and private insurers already recognize pharmacists as providers, Medicare continues to lag due to outdated statutes. Current legislation introduced in the House of Representatives — H.R.3164, the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act — would help rectify this. However, CMS and ASTP/ONC have the authority to include pharmacies in interoperability initiatives, irrespective of the legislation.
“NACDS strongly supports the Administration’s vision for a connected, secure, and effective health technology ecosystem,” continued Anderson. “To realize this vision, it is crucial to acknowledge and integrate the role of pharmacies fully.”
The Association recognizes pharmacy data interoperability as a crucial component for enhancing Americans’ access to pharmacist-provided services. As such, the advancement of pharmacy data interoperability is a central component of the NACDS Health and Wellness Innovation Initiative.
NACDS outlined a three-pronged approach to accelerate pharmacy data interoperability:
- Facilitating bi-directional data sharing between pharmacies and other providers,
- Integrating pharmacists into care teams, and
- Collaborating with HHS to incentivize the development and adoption of certified Health IT.
NACDS’ comprehensive recommendations, including those on data accessibility and interoperability, Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA), information blocking, United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), as well as digital health adoption and essential data in value-based care, can be found here.
