NACDS CEO speaks out in support of Restoring Access to Medication Act

Steven Anderson, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), weighed in on the House Ways and Means Committee’s recent passage of the Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2015 (H.R. 1270).

The bill restores over-the-counter (OTC) medications to full tax-preferred status, allowing consumers to use their health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts to pay for these products without first obtaining a prescription.

"This issue is essential to many concerns about health care, from access to cost-effectiveness," Anderson said. "Allowing coverage for OTCs through health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts without a prescription would return some much-needed efficiency and consumer-empowerment in the treatment of easily managed conditions.

"To maximize the use of OTCs for the good of patient health, we urge the full House and the Senate to take prompt action to advance this important return to sound policy,” Anderson said.

H.R. 1270 restores over-the-counter (OTC) medications to full tax-preferred status, thus allowing consumers to use their health-savings accounts and flexible-spending accounts to purchase them without having prescriptions.

The prescription requirement was imposed through a provision in the Affordable Care Act; NACDS has consistently advocated for full tax-preferred status for OTCs.