NACDS Applauds Rejection of California State Legislation That Would Disempower Patients, Drive Up Healthcare Costs

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) applauded the rejection of California legislation that would require a prescription for over-the-counter products containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in cold and allergy medications.

This anti-consumer legislation (SB 315) would have mandated prescriptions for pseudoephedrine-containing products, thereby skyrocketing healthcare costs and reducing Californians’ access to health care, while not reducing the drug abuse and misuse of these products

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NACDS joined state partners in California to oppose this legislation. The Association testified before state lawmakers, highlighting community pharmacy’s commitment to working with law enforcement to help provide them access to the information they need to identify and stop this criminal activity, while ensuring patients have access to the over-the-counter medications that they rely on to treat illnesses.

NACDS also stressed that the prescription requirement would result in increased healthcare costs, resulting from an increase in doctors’ visits, prescription pharmacy costs, Medi-Cal costs and insurance premiums.

“We are pleased that California lawmakers rejected this anti-consumer legislation. Requiring a prescription for over-the-counter products containing pseudoephedrine would be a cure worse than the disease,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “A prescription requirement would disempower patients in their own healthcare and would only increase healthcare costs."

NACDS continues working with state and federal officials to curb pseudoephedrine misuse and abuse, emphasizing that a prescription-only approach would have detrimental impacts on patients and the healthcare system.