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BOISE, Idaho – The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) is applauding the enactment of Idaho House Bill (HB) 596. The legislation — signed on April 1 by Governor Brad Little (R-ID) — will help reduce prescription drug prices and preserve Idahoans’ access to pharmacies and pharmacy services.
HB 596 includes important PBM reforms that confront PBMs’ inflationary effects on drug prices and their tactics that force pharmacies to sell medications below cost, and that force pharmacies to close their doors – ultimately jeopardizing continuity of care.
“The PBM reforms contained in House Bill 596 are essential to protecting patients and pharmacies from PBMs’ abusive tactics, which diminish pharmacy access for entire communities by contributing to the forced closure of pharmacies and which inflate Idahoans’ prescription drug costs,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven Anderson. “Idahoans rely on their neighborhood pharmacies for important healthcare services such as health screenings, disease management, vaccinations, testing services, patient counseling, essential medications, and more.
“NACDS appreciates the strong collaboration and leadership among the following groups and individuals: State Senator Kevin Cook (R); State Representative Jordan Redman (R); Leadership of the Idaho State Legislature; the Idaho State Pharmacy Association; the Idaho Retailers Association; and Idaho chain and independent pharmacists and pharmacies.
“Importantly, we commend Gov. Brad Little for recognizing the importance of this legislation in helping to ensure that pharmacists and pharmacies may continue to deliver critical services to Idaho patients — and we look forward to continuing work together on issues crucial to Idahoans and to the pharmacies and pharmacists serving them.”
Pharmacies remain critical access points to needed care — existing within five miles of 90 percent of Americans. A recent poll commissioned by NACDS and conducted by Morning Consult found that 86% of adults in Idaho say it is very or somewhat easy to access pharmacies, ranking their accessibility the highest among healthcare destinations tested.
NACDS continues to work at the federal and state levels to confront PBM practices that force patients and others to pay more for their medicines, that limit patients’ access to their pharmacist, that restrict patients’ access to the medicines right for them, and that jeopardize the pharmacies on which patients rely.
Additionally, NACDS’ work in an array of states has shown that PBM reform is far from done when a law is enacted. NACDS remains committed to supporting leaders who stand up for patients, pharmacies, employers, taxpayers, communities, and the entire state by enacting, implementing, enforcing, and defending PBM reform laws.
