Rx Reform Now
Fair Prices. Local Access. Better Care.
Louisiana patients deserve the freedom to choose their pharmacy — and local pharmacists deserve fair payment to dispense the prescriptions their patients need. But right now, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are threatening both. These powerful middlemen often own the pharmacies they steer patients toward, while underpaying independent pharmacists for the same services. It’s time for change.
Sign the Petition!
Join us in calling on Louisiana lawmakers to take action — sign the petition to support fair access, fair pay and real reform.
“The P.B.M.s, which are responsible for paying pharmacies on behalf of employers, are driving independent drugstores out of business by not paying them enough to cover their costs.”
— The New York Times, June 21, 2024 (opens in new tab)
Why This Matters
- Freedom of Choice: PBMs are steering patients away from their trusted local pharmacies — often to ones they own — through restrictive networks and mail-order mandates, stripping patients of their right to choose.
- Fairness: Locally operated, small-business pharmacies are being underpaid or denied reimbursement by PBMs, making it unsustainable to continue serving their communities. Some are forced to turn patients away or risk closure.
- Access to Care: More than 300 independent pharmacies closed nationwide last year, and Louisiana is at risk. When local pharmacies disappear, communities — especially rural and underserved areas — are left without access to timely, face-to-face care.
The Impact on You
- Your Safety at Risk: Your trusted local pharmacist knows your history and can spot potential health risks or dangerous interactions, offering real-time support that a PBM-owned mail-order pharmacy or call center can’t provide.
- Community Loss: When local pharmacies are forced to close due to unfair PBM practices, communities lose more than a business — they lose jobs, personalized care and a vital part of their local healthcare safety net.
- You’re Paying More: PBMs profit from hidden fees and rebates, while pharmacists are underpaid and patients are left with higher drug costs. Without reform, the system keeps working for middlemen, not for you.
“… PBMs can squeeze independent pharmacies that many Americans, especially those in rural communities, depend on for essential care.”
— Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan, July 9, 2024 (opens in new tab)
Unity Care NW, a nonprofit health clinic in Washington state, forecasts the cost of medical and drug benefits for its 365 employees and their family members will increase this year by 25% to more than $3 million. A big reason: Drugs delivered by mail are costing multiples more than those picked up at a store counter. Markups were as much as 35 times higher than what other pharmacies charged, according to a recent analysis of millions of prescriptions in Washington state. “It’s absolutely not fair, and it’s not saving us money,” said Lisa Nelson, Unity Care’s chief pharmacy officer.
— Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2024 (opens in new tab)
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