Oregon Pharmacy Professionals Urge State Legislators to Act to Save Community Pharmacies

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On April 9, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students, and pharmacy owners from across Oregon gathered at the State Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass House Bill 3212, a bipartisan bill to curb the abusive practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) that are driving local pharmacies out of business and threatening patient care.

“Oregon ranks last in pharmacy access in the lower 48, and we’ve lost over 200 pharmacies since 2008 mostly in rural and underserved areas,” said Brian Mayo, executive director of the Oregon State Pharmacy Association. “PBMs and their insurance partners are putting profits before patients, and the consequences are devastating.”

Originally intended to reduce drug costs, PBMs and their insurance company partners now use their unchecked power to force pharmacies into take-it-or-leave-it contracts that reimburse below cost, steer patients to PBM-owned mail-order or corporate pharmacies, and impose gag clauses that prevent pharmacists from advocating on behalf of their patients or employers. The result: higher prices, shrinking access, and pharmacy closures across the state.

When a pharmacy closes, the community loses access to life-saving medications, immunizations, chronic disease support, and the most accessible health care provider many Oregonians have.

John Murray, co-owner of Murray’s Drug in Heppner, Condon, and Boardman, warned that without reform, more closures are coming. “We’ve served Eastern Oregon since 1959, but PBM contracts are forcing pharmacies to dispense prescriptions at a loss. If we shut our doors, some patients will have to drive hours for care.”

HB 3212 would require PBMs to pay pharmacies fairly, ban patient steering, and increase pricing transparency. In their meetings with lawmakers today, supporters underscored that the bill is necessary to protect health care access across Oregon.

“Pharmacy professionals are here today to stand up for their patients,” said Mayo. “It’s time for the legislature to do the same and pass HB 3212.”

HB 3212 is currently in the House Committee on Rules.

oregonpharmacy.org

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