President Trump on Monday, February 3, 2025, issued a proclamation designating February as American Heart Month.
He did so while affirming his Administration’s pledge to “work diligently to save lives, lower healthcare costs, and foster a stronger, safer, and healthier future for every citizen” and to personally, as President, “always be an unwavering advocate for improving the health of every American.”
On this occasion, NACDS re-emphasizes its formal recommendations to the Trump Administration: “Four Wins to Make America Healthy Again.”
Among the recommendations is NACDS’ urging to “Partner with pharmacies to address the chronic disease crisis.” NACDS explains:
“The goal to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ is a tall order. Chronic disease is up. Health costs are out of control. Healthcare is more out-of-reach – certainly in rural America. The system has capacity issues. The United States still focuses more on ‘sick care’ than ‘healthcare.’ Pharmacies are vital to the prevention and management of chronic disease. It is time to rely on pharmacies as a healthcare destination – starting with baseline screening for blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol and continuing with a plan to reduce and manage risk. It is time to rely on pharmacies for Food is Medicine programs and for nutrition education.”
NACDS’ other three recommendations are complementary – and just as crucial – to confronting the chronic disease crisis. The other three recommendations are:
- “Stop the rip-off: enact PBM middleman reform to lower Americans’ costs and ensure pharmacy choice.”
- Stop the system from cheating seniors out of access to pharmacy care services.
- Remove unnecessary regulatory burdens standing between consumers and pharmacy care.
