Benham, Harkins highlight new PBM law with Erie pharmacists

Lawmakers tout pharmaceutical industry reform to help patients, local pharmacies

Rep. Jessica Benham    July 22, 2024 | 2:52 PM

ERIE, July 22 – State Reps. Jessica Benham and Pat Harkins held a news conference today at Medicap Pharmacy to discuss how Benham’s Act 77 of 2024 will help more pharmacies stay in business and lower prescription drug costs for patients now that it has been signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“Pharmacy owners across the state have been pleading for a law like this that provides greater accountability and transparency around pharmacy benefit managers, the corporate middlemen who have significant influence over how drugs are priced,” said Benham, D-Allegheny.

“Standing up to pharmaceutical industry giants, who are seeing billions in profit while hundreds of community pharmacies in Pennsylvania are closing, is what this law is all about. Powerful industry executives are not happy we passed this law, but local pharmacy owners are. That’s a big indicator we’re heading in the right direction.”

Benham said the bill Shapiro signed into law limits or bans 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. It also requires transparency reports on PBMs to be submitted to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

“This legislation is the product of bipartisan cooperation that we got over the goal line quickly, thanks to Rep. Benham’s leadership,” said Harkins, D-Erie. “I’m happy it helps the independent pharmacies and consumers.”

“PBMs have been able to circumvent many laws so far; their ability to find workarounds is incredible,” said Medicap pharmacist Richard Kosobucki. “My hope is that Act 77 provides the tools necessary to actually constrain PBMs and allow independent pharmacies to survive. We also need federal action to address direct and indirect remuneration fees.”

Photos from today’s event are available here.