SAN DIEGO — During last month’s NACDS Total Store Expo retailers and suppliers converged at the San Diego Convention Center to connect, collaborate and foster strategic business partnerships that will help drive the future of the industry. The theme at this year’s show was a “total store, total person” approach to health and wellness, marking the third conference in 2023 celebrating the association’s 90th anniversary year.

The message that both NACDS chair Mike Wysong, and president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson conveyed during the business program was that the pharmacy industry is forever linked to the nine-decade legacy of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and, through NACDS, it has a unique opportunity for advancement.

Wysong, CEO of CARE Pharmacies, thanked chain and supplier members for coming together to commemorate the anniversary, celebrate 10 years of TSE and create new firsts that shape the future.

“The NACDS Total Store Expo continues to reimagine ‘what could be’ and to foster innovation by bringing together the right people, at the right time, in the right setting,” he said.

Anderson echoed those thoughts, emphasizing the moment that exists now for the industry and for the nation — and NACDS’ place in it.

“For an association that prides itself on representing ‘the face of neighborhood health care,’ these are exciting times,” he said. “These are times of rapid progress for all facets of the industry: pharmacy, health and wellness, consumer goods, the supply chain, technology, and beyond.”

Anderson continued by describing the association’s consistent purpose since its inception in 1933, driven by a “passion for pharmacy and for retail, the relationship between retailer and supplier” as well as the “industry’s collective bond with the American consumer.”

Wysong and Anderson described what NACDS and the “triumph of cooperation” look like today — three and a half years after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has come and gone and there is a heightened sense of awareness of pharmacies’ growing capacity and capabilities…” said Wysong. He explained that the pharmacy industry — and its passionate “artists” — are making tremendous progress on NACDS policy priorities that are essential to Americans and to the pharmacies on which they rely..

Anderson made special mention of NACDS 2023 — which is about the future of the association and of the industry, both retailers and suppliers. Notably, the effort is all about pharmacy transformation, health and wellness solutions throughout the store, and partnerships with NACDS members and others in health care.

“NACDS, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Food Is Medicine Institute at Tufts University are collaborating on an unprecedented public health education campaign, with the tagline “nourish my health.” What a great leadin to a total-store and total-person approach. It’s a great example of that triumph of cooperation that features the value of pharmacy; the collaboration of retailers and suppliers; and the bond with the American public.”