PBM Reform

“We have accomplished a feat so rarely seen in Washington. We’ve brought the most extreme democrats and republicans together to agree and work towards the same goal.”   – Dr. Nikki Adams-Bryant, Adams Family Pharmacy, Preston GA On Thursday, December 11th, 55 pharmacy professionals from 22 states and the District of Columbia joined Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and House Oversight Chair James Co

December 11, 2025 Washington, DC To learn more about the Pharmacists Fight Back Act and to contact your federal legislator, visit PharmacistsFightBack.org

Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 11, 10 am ET . That’s when Representatives Jake Auchincloss and Diana Harshbarger, together with some of our profession’s most outspoken advocates, will announce the filing of the Pharmacists Fight Back Act  bills in Medicaid/Medicare and the federal employee benefits plan.  Following on the heels of Representative Buddy Carter's PBM Reform Act (HR 4317), the Pharmacists Fight Back Act bills  are the most comprehensive federal PBM re

Let’s cut straight to it: the most powerful voice in healthcare policy isn’t a lobbyist, a trade association, or a polished talking point crafted in a Washington office. It’s a constituent. A real human being who can look their lawmaker in the eye and say, “Here is what your decisions are doing to my community.” And in pharmacy, that voice is us . The word “lobbying” actually has a colorful history.  It traces back to the days when someone would wait in the lobbies of legisla

It’s time! The most comprehensive federal pro-pharmacy/pharmacy patient PBM reform legislation is poised to be filed, so it’s time for all of us  to take the first step of our campaign - yes, during the government shutdown - to support advancing this legislation to eventual successful enactment. A Quick PFB Recap: Two Bills, One Mission The  Pharmacists Fight Back Act  (PFB) is now strategically split into two bills to allow for relevant jurisdictional process. “PFB Medicare

You’ve probably heard of ghost kitchens, those restaurants that exist only on delivery apps with no physical storefront for customers to visit. But have you ever heard of ghost networks? They’re not spooky Halloween décor or the latest streaming conspiracy. Ghost networks are the phantom pharmacy networks that pharmacy benefit managers and insurance companies claim to exist on paper, but have little basis in reality. If you’ve ever tried to help a patient find an in-network p

Are We Talking About the Same Middlemen?  Following President Trump’s announcement today of “TrumpRx”, a new executive initiative to help lower patient drug costs, we thought  for a minute the Chief Executive might have gotten pharmacies confused with PBMs.  Currently there are not enough details to know exactly what TrumpRx is or how it would work, but we can all agree that patient safety cannot be compromised by removing access to trusted pharmacy professionals. Even if Tru

There will never be a better opportunity to swing out big for aggressive, meaningful PBM reform. The moment is now. Let’s do this...

How the CBO Became PBMs’ Sidekick If you think the biggest obstacle to fixing PBMs is their billion-dollar lobby, bless your heart, because you’re only half right. The other half? A government spreadsheet in D.C. quietly strangling real reform before it ever has a chance. Meet the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The unelected, unaccountable scorekeeper that can take a bipartisan, common-sense bill and file it under “too expensive” with the click of a keystroke. Officially,

NoLa.com Author: Monique Whitney, PUTT Executive Director Recently guest essayist Rob Maness suggested banning pharmacy benefit managers...

PUTTbulletin July 2025 The politics of pharmacy and PBM reform have reached an inflection point. The era of incrementalism, such as it existed, is over. We’ve demonstrated that we’re hardworking team players, capable of being gracious and accepting when our part of PBM reform policy ends up on the cutting room floor because, well, “politics”. We’ve seen the movie making its second, third or fifth run through the halls of Congress this year and we know how it ends. So to you,

Oklahoma decision viewed as affirming broad ERISA preemption Employers increasingly challenging PBM laws across the country Bloomberg Law...

Author: Deborah Keaveny, PUTT President, MNindys Founder In June of 2020 the Minnesota Independent Pharmacists ( MNIndys ) was created as...

PUTTbulletin June 2025 As we reach the midpoint of 2025, we’re looking back with pride and joy on a remarkable 6 months of grassroots advocacy, legislative victories (some of them outright miraculous, Virginia) and our collective work to protect independent pharmacies and patient access to care. Join us celebrating these wins - your wins - with the certainty that we’re only gaining momentum, and more wins are on the way: One Big Beautiful Win: Eliminating Mandatory NADAC Repo

Ohio Capital Journal Reporter: Marty Schladen Owners of small pharmacies — many themselves members of local chambers of commerce — are...

The Federalist Author: Drew Johnson Why do we have a medical system in this country where too many people can’t get the treatment that...

The New York Times Author: Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Behind inflated prescription prices, complicated insurance plans and...

Axios Reporter: Maya Goldman Drug price middlemen are going to court to fight a first-in-the-nation effort to police their ownership of...

May 27, 2025 Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force  United States Department of Justice  950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW  Washington, DC 20530 Re: Anticompetitive Practices by Vertically Integrated Health Insurers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers Dear Members of the Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force: I am writing on behalf of the independent pharmacy members of Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency (PUTT) to bring to your attention the urgent need for antitrust enforcem

Independent pharmacies are small businesses. That shouldn’t be a controversial statement. We employ local residents, serve vulnerable...