NACDS addresses drug abuse, patient access in Tallahassee Democrat op-ed

ARLINGTON, Va. — Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help address the complex issue of prescription pain medication issues. That was a key message that National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and CEO Steve Anderson expressed is an opinion column published Wednesday in the Tallahassee Democrat.



NACDS submitted the letter amid extensive media attention to these issues across the state of Florida.



“Prescription drug abuse and patient access to medically-necessary medications are complex issues that are not mutually exclusive. Addressing only one side of the equation can lead to unintended consequences,” Anderson wrote in the column.



The column urges support for the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015 (S. 482 and H.R. 471), which would bring health and enforcement authorities together for a more comprehensive approach to these issues.



The appearance of this op-ed follows the April 29 publishing of an NACDS letter-to-the-editor in the Orlando Sentinel.