NARD, NACDS form pharmacy coalition

Drug Store News, March 1, 1993 by Ken Rankin

Just last month, NARD and NACDS put aside decades of bitter and often counterproductive rivalry to cooperate on a number of community pharmacy practice issues of concern to both independents and chains.

The top item on the agenda for the newly-formed NARD-NACDS "working group" is the future role of pharmacy technicians - an issue that has long been a source of friction between chain and independent factions.

Before we had a chance to digest the implications of that initiative, the two national retail pharmacy groups had taken another, even bigger step toward cooperative action.

Describing themselves as "the nation's community retail pharmacy coalition," NARD and NACDS announced their agreement on a new series of principles for health care reform.

Behind these dramatic moves toward drug store detente: a recognition by chain and independent pharmacy leaders that sweeping changes in health care are imminent, and that retail pharmacy had better speak with a clear, strong voice in order to be heard on this issue.

What common ground can independents and chains find on this issue? More than you might guess.

The new NARD-NACDS coalition has identified four "concepts" which both sides agree are "fundamental" to any reform of the current health delivery system.

Here's what chains and independents want:

* Coverage of prescription drugs under "any basic health care plan. " Since pharmacists are in "a key position" to monitor medication use and decrease overall health care costs, the "provision of pharmacists' services are essential," NARD and NACDS agree.

* An aggressive effort to cut third-party administrative fat. Redundant and "unnecessary layers of intermediaries" are clogging the current system, and new uniform standards are needed to promote electronic claims processing.

* Fresh assurance that government is committed to preserving "freedom of choice" for patients and providers. The best way to ensure a competitive market for pharmacy services is to guarantee "the public's free access to community pharmacy and community pharmacy's free access to the marketplace."

* A crackdown on multi-tier pricing by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Eliminating discriminatory pricing by drug manufacturers is "essential to the preservation of a competitive community pharmacy marketplace. " All pharmacies, chain and independent alike, "must be able to acquire prescription drugs at the same price, subject only to economies of scale, including volume. "

With one swing of the axe, NACDS and NARD served notice that retail pharmacy is ready to stand up to third-party intermediaries, managed care mavens, pharmaceutical manufacturers and the federal government.

Not bad for openers.