Reining in PBM practices has long been a top priority for the nation’s independent pharmacies. In the waning days of the 118th Congress, it seemed that victory was finally at hand.  That’s because, as legislators put together a spending package to continue funding the federal government into 2025, hoped-for PBM-related provisions were added, sparking cautious optimism throughout the pharmacy community.  But just as quickly as they were added, the provisions were stripped out of the final version.  Congress passed the revised spending plan, leaving pharmacists disappointed and disheartened. 

As pharmacy advocates continue the battle for meaningful reform, community pharmacists face yet another year of egregious PBM practices including, of course, decreasing reimbursement rates.  Pharmacies are not adequately reimbursed for the costs of medications provided to patients.  For many pharmacies, this has had an existential effect, with NCPA reporting that independent pharmacies were closing at a rate of roughly one per day. Read More >