Legislation to crack down on predatory drug pricing practices clears state House and Senate
Rep. Jessica Benham July 11, 2024 | 6:13 PM
HARRISBURG, July 11 – State Rep. Jessica Benham’s bill to save community pharmacies and lower prescription drug costs by reforming pharmacy benefit manager policy is heading to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.
“This is a huge victory in the battle to reduce the cost of prescription medicine for Pennsylvanians,” said Benham, D-Allegheny. “Drug prices didn’t skyrocket overnight – it’s going to take measures beyond H.B. 1993 to make medicine affordable again. But putting corporate middlemen like PBMs in check is essential in giving power back to independent pharmacies and the patients they serve every day.”
Benham has met with local pharmacy owners across the state, hearing how PBM pricing tactics are often cited as the primary force driving community pharmacies out of business. According to Benham, over 140 community pharmacies in Pennsylvania have closed just this year.
Once signed into law, Benham’s H.B. 1993 would limit or ban specific PBM practices including patient steering, retroactive recoupment of money paid by the PBM to the pharmacy, and forcing prescriptions to be ordered by mail.
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