NACDS chair Nightengale sees changes ahead

‘A new and transformative period for pharmacy’

PALM Seashore, Fla. — Recently elected NACDS Chair Brian Nightengale resolved vendors and suppliers Tuesday morning, detailing the troubles and alternatives forward for the business, and arguing that NACDS is nicely positioned to be a catalyst for “a new and transformative era for pharmacy.”

Throughout the Tuesday Organization Software at the 2022 NACDS Once-a-year Meeting, Brian Nightengale, president, Very good Neighbor Pharmacy, gave his 1st remarks as NACDS Chair and gained the NACDS Chair’s gavel from Colleen Lindholz, president, Kroger Wellness, The Kroger Co.

Nightengale, who oversees Excellent Neighbor Pharmacy, a network of about 4300 retail pharmacies nationwide, delivered his remarks at the NACDS Once-a-year Conference Business enterprise Program on Tuesday. He approved the NACDS Chair’s gavel from Colleen Lindholz, president, Kroger Wellbeing, The Kroger Co., who completed her phrase as NACDS Chair.

A pharmacist by teaching, Nightengale commenced his profession “moonlighting in both equally independent and chain pharmacies” — developing via those people activities “a enthusiasm for the career and for serving the community as a pharmacist.”

Nightengale famous the means in which retail pharmacies and suppliers stepped up to provide the nation — innovating boldly and making the conclusions essential to provide a new degree of care and assistance to their communities.

“I think it is risk-free to say that the American community now has a full new appreciation for the significant role that retail pharmacies participate in in conference their wellbeing and wellness needs,” Nightengale stated.

“I want to thank our affiliate member organizations and the supplier local community as a entire, for your partnership and aid. In the course of this pandemic, you served to make certain that we continued to have accessibility to the goods and providers we count on, and in many means, altered the way you do enterprise to make certain continuity across the source chain. The magnitude of this marketplace-large reaction is merely amazing when you search back again at anything that has been completed around the past two years.”

Nightengale went on to describe pharmacies’ crystal clear and critical purpose in the healthcare ecosystem — and the essential have to have to condition the long term of pharmacy so that Individuals manage obtain to pharmacist-offered treatment companies in times of emergency and each day. These topics have been also discussed through Sunday’s Annual Meeting Business Method.

“Retail pharmacy is the most accessible site of care in the U.S.,” Nightengale reported. “We have the potential to empower customers with complete health and wellness options. Nevertheless, although retail pharmacy has shined on the countrywide stage, fast evolving sector dynamics — some aged, some new — ought to be addressed for us to be ready to truly deliver on the complete value that we can present as America’s most available health and fitness and wellness places.

“These dynamics offer genuine possibilities for our companies and our industry to transform alone into a thing greater — something that we have already established feasible all over the pandemic — that as the most available, most reliable and most economical healthcare vacation spot in The usa we can and really should have an expanded function within just the overall health and wellness ecosystem inside this country.”

He also in-depth NACDS’ job as the “strong catalyst for transformation:”

“NACDS has always offered its associates a system to be ‘the deal with of neighborhood healthcare’ and now, most likely far more than at any time, NACDS plays an even higher position in assisting our market navigate the issues of today and capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Nightengale also emphasized NACDS’ crucial priorities for the calendar year, which will continue to include:

• Working to guarantee honest and adequate pharmacy reimbursement “for the products we dispense and the care companies we provide”
• Growing patients’ entry to pharmacy-based mostly treatment solutions “by leveraging the classes realized and the simple affect our occupation has had throughout this pandemic”
• Making certain that NACDS carries on to serve customers properly into the long term, “think[ing] creatively about the foreseeable future purpose that NACDS associates — and as a result NACDS — really should enjoy in the complete wellbeing and wellness journey of all Americans”
• Maximizing the return to in-particular person conferences and conferences so that associates have the opportunity to collaborate and construct the foreseeable future of the industry.

“As we arise from the pandemic and march onward toward the 90th anniversary of NACDS subsequent 12 months, we’re on the verge of completely redefining how we provide our individuals and shoppers,” Nightengale reported. “But for that to transpire, we will have to act, and that time is now.”

Tuesday’s Enterprise System also integrated remarks by previous protection secretary, Dr. Mark Esper.

Dan Figus, vice president, U.S. chief client officer, Johnson & Johnson Buyer Wellbeing, also spoke, and Johnson & Johnson Client Health and fitness supported the morning’s Business enterprise System. Equally, Lisa Paley, head, U.S. and North The united states, GSK Shopper Healthcare, spoke throughout Sunday morning’s Company Method, which was supported by GSK Consumer Healthcare.