Arlington, VA – National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) President and CEO Steven C. Anderson issued the following statement today about the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, released this morning:

“NACDS strongly urges passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, and will key-vote its progress every step of the way to enactment. The bill contains long-overdue, urgently-needed pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) middleman reforms that are crucial for reducing Americans’ drug costs and preserving access to their trusted pharmacies – which are being forced to close at an ever-accelerating rate.”

Anderson continued, “The PBM reforms are essential for seniors in Medicare and for their pharmacies. These reforms would advance the clear priority of Congress and the Trump Administration to bring down peoples’ drug costs, to bring healthcare more in-reach for all Americans, and to confront the PBM middlemen’s exorbitant profit-grabbing at the expense of taxpayers, all people, and local pharmacies. This bill must be enacted with these PBM reforms without delay.”

Anderson’s statement follows a letter to the Congressional leadership which stated: “Waiting for some other opportunity will again be devastating for the patients and pharmacies on the brink.”

Related Content:

Polling and perspectives about pharmacy closures – 97% of Americans expect actions to help prevent pharmacy closures, which are escalating and now occurring at a rate of more than six per day. Learn more…