New NACDS/Morning Consult polling shows policy is backed by overwhelming public support.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) today praised the House Committee on Ways and Means for its markup and passage of the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act (H.R. 3164) through committee - a major step toward giving seniors easier access to care at their local pharmacy.

The goal of the legislation is simple: allow seniors to receive the care they need closer to home while empowering pharmacists to practice at the top of their license. The bill, authored by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), would formally recognize pharmacists as healthcare providers under Medicare, enabling beneficiaries to receive pharmacist-provided testing and treatment for flu, strep throat, and RSV in states that already authorize pharmacists to perform these services. It would not preempt existing state scope-of-practice laws.

"Pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare providers for many of America's seniors, and expanding access to pharmacist-provided care would not only help cut costs and support local communities, but give patients timely help close to home," said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson. "Thank you to Chairman Jason Smith and Rep. Adrian Smith, and Ranking Member Richard Neal and Rep. Brad Schneider, for driving this legislation forward and recognizing the need for every senior in America to be able to receive care from their neighborhood pharmacy."

Public support for expanding seniors' access to pharmacy services is overwhelming. New NACDS/Morning Consult polling shows that 81 percent of seniors age 65 and older say they are likely to support a Congressional candidate who works to secure Medicare enrollees' ability to receive tests for flu, strep throat, and RSV - and their respective treatments - from their pharmacists. Support spans party lines, with 80 percent of conservative adults and 85 percent of liberal adults backing the policy.

Support among Congressional lawmakers for H.R. 3164, and its companion legislation in the Senate (S. 2426), is notable, as more than a quarter of the Congress has co-sponsored the legislation in their respective chambers.

NACDS is a leading advocate for H.R. 3164 / S. 2426 and working directly with the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition as an Executive Committee member to identify the best legislative vehicle to advance the legislation through Congress.