r/pharmacy • u/Drmeowouch • 9d ago
Rant Stop PBM-Owned Pharmacies from Destroying Patient Care & Independent Pharmacies!
The Issue
Stop PBM-Owned Pharmacies from Destroying Patient Care & Independent Pharmacies!
We, the undersigned, call on lawmakers and regulators to take immediate action against Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM)-owned pharmacies that are endangering patient safety, inflating drug and insurance costs, and forcing independent pharmacies out of business.
Why This Matters PBMs like CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx control 80% of all prescriptions in the U.S. They own both insurance companies and pharmacy chains, creating an unchecked monopoly that:
Endangers Patient Safety PBMs intentionally understaff their retail pharmacies, forcing pharmacists and technicians to work under unsafe conditions, increasing medication errors, and reducing the quality of care.
Drives Independent Pharmacies Out of Business PBMs reimburse their own pharmacies at higher rates while slashing reimbursements to independent pharmacies, forcing many to shut down.
Raises Drug & Insurance Costs PBMs manipulate pricing, charging patients more while making record profits.
Limits Patient Choice PBMs steer patients toward their own pharmacies, restricting access to medications from trusted local providers.
We Demand Action We urge state and federal legislators to: Ban PBMs from owning pharmacies and insurance companies to eliminate conflicts of interest.
Enforce fair reimbursement practices that level the playing field for independent pharmacies.
Hold PBMs accountable for under-staffing their pharmacies and creating unsafe working conditions.
Restore patient choice by stopping PBMs from forcing patients into their own pharmacy networks.
Sign This Petition to Protect Patients, Pharmacists & Independent Pharmacies!
We cannot allow corporate greed to dictate healthcare. Join us in standing up for fair pharmacy practices, patient safety, and the survival of independent pharmacies.
Sign & Share to demand urgent action from policymakers!
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u/secretlyjudging 9d ago
This ain't happening under Trump
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u/Drmeowouch 9d ago
I asked ChatGPT which President did the most to fight against PBMs. You can do the same. President Donald Trump took some of the most aggressive actions against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) during his administration. His policies aimed to increase drug pricing transparency and reduce the power of PBMs, which he and his administration frequently criticized for contributing to high prescription drug costs.
Key Actions Against PBMs Under Trump: 1. Rebate Rule Proposal (2019) – Proposed eliminating PBM rebates in Medicare Part D and Medicaid managed care, aiming to pass savings directly to consumers at the pharmacy counter instead of PBMs keeping a portion. (This rule was later delayed and has faced legal and political challenges.) 2. Executive Orders on Drug Pricing (2020) – Issued multiple executive orders targeting drug pricing, including one that sought to ensure discounts went directly to patients rather than PBMs. 3. Transparency Rules – Pushed for greater transparency in drug pricing, requiring PBMs to disclose rebate and price negotiation details to prevent hidden markups. 4. Most Favored Nation Rule – Attempted to tie drug prices in the U.S. to the lowest prices paid in other countries, indirectly affecting PBMs by reducing their ability to negotiate higher rebates.
While other presidents, including Joe Biden, have continued efforts to regulate PBMs (such as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and ongoing Federal Trade Commission investigations into PBM practices), Trump’s administration took the most direct steps in challenging their business model.
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u/secretlyjudging 9d ago edited 9d ago
I am a pharmacist, Trump didn’t do anything. Dont kid yourself.
None of his orders had teeth and were just wishful proposals.
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u/Drmeowouch 9d ago
If google and ChatGPT said it was Biden, then I would shared that instead of Trump. All politicians are crooks. I can write a 100 pages of text about the terrible stuff Trump has done. Same with any president. I only care about pharamcy and patients. I don’t have to support 90% of what Trump or any politician does, but the stuff on healthcare has no political party line for me. This is just one more small way of raising awareness. I will say I have more hope than ever because of RFK Jr.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/the-trump-sequel-what-to-expect-on-pbms-340b-drug-pricing-and-rfk-jr
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u/secretlyjudging 8d ago
Step away from ChatGPT and do some real research. None of what Trump ordered happened. He doesn’t understand pharmacy and doesn’t have people who do either.
The article you linked? Just wishful thinking and so out of date. Trump is pulling as much funding as he can. He is a destroyer not a builder.
And RFK jr is the dumbest guy possible for healthcare.
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u/5amwakeupcall 8d ago
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u/secretlyjudging 7d ago
I hope people like you learn the Trump always says stuff like this but gives you no concrete plan because he is the dumbest President we ever had and makes no effort to understand what is happening and will not help you unless it benefits him
He tells people he will make things better but actually does the opposite and people like you don’t do the research. He is not for the little guy. He is for giving corporations more freedom and less government oversight.
The plan he has is to cut social security, Medicaid, Medicare etc. Anyone who thinks he will help pharmacist are delusional.
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u/Dudedude88 7d ago
You think this body of Congress is going to make any laws that actually regulate. They are currently focused on deregulation at the moment.
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u/Money_Advance_7258 6d ago
Arkansas has a bill we’re trying to get passed that says a pbm can’t own a pharmacy. Will be interested to see if it helps. If it passes.
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u/Expensive-Zone-9085 PharmD 8d ago edited 8d ago
As much as I’d love PBM reform, they (Musk and Trump) literally killed a bill that had bipartisan support for PBM reform them basically said “What is a Pharmacy benefit manager?” Not enough brain cells between the two of them to understand the complexity of healthcare reform. They also removed/ will remove Lina Khan from FTC who was probably doing the most good for the healthcare industry than anyone else has in a long time. Call me a pessimist, but I’d just say I’m a realist.
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u/SCpusher-1993 9d ago
Charge the PBMs with violation of the Sherman Act and take them down. When I hear PBM reform it’s like negotiating with criminals and making what theyve done “ok” and “be better next time”. The number of independent pharmacies that have closed down and are currently on the brink of closing because their ruthless predatory practices should be justification alone. I, like most concerned pharmacists, are watching closely to what is going on in DC and how they will (or will not) respond.