Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition Applauds Chairman Comer and House Oversight Committee for Shedding Light on Harmful PBM Practices, Encourages Congress to Advance PBM Reform Legislation Heard Today in House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee

DATE: September 19, 2023

Washington, D.C. (Sept. 19, 2023) – The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), the leading national voice for the long-term care pharmacy community, released a statement today regarding the House Oversight Committee’s hearing on pharmacy benefit managers.

“The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition applauds Chairman James Comer for his continued efforts to shed light on pharmacy benefit managers’ harmful practices. Today’s hearing before the House Oversight Committee is another important milestone in holding PBMs accountable and creating more transparency that benefits patients and providers and ensures continued access to the medications they rely on to manage their health,” said Alan Rosenbloom, President and CEO of the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition.

SCPC also applauds the continuing PBM reform efforts by members of the House Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee and its chairman, Congressman Brett Guthrie. This most notably includes H.R. 2880, the Protecting Patients Against PBM Abuses Act, sponsored by Reps. Buddy Carter and Lisa Blunt Rochester, which was also up for discussion today.

This legislation would establish necessary new requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) under Medicare Part D, including a provision that prohibits PBMs from paying affiliated pharmacies more than unaffiliated  pharmacies. The bill also includes important transparency provisions related to the PBM rebates and administrative fees and would delink PBM compensation from the cost of medications, while also prohibiting the use of spread pricing in charges to sponsors or payments to pharmacies.

“SCPC is encouraged to see this important legislation receiving much deserved attention and hope it continues to move forward. We thank Health Subcommittee Chairman Brett Guthrie and H.R. 2880 sponsors Rep. Buddy Carter and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester for helping lead the way on PBM reform,” added Rosenbloom. “There is no sound policy reason for PBMs to pay affiliated pharmacies more than unaffiliated pharmacies, and Congress should stop this abusive practice in its tracks. Delinking PBM compensation from the cost of medications would prevent PBMs from pocketing and profiting from ever-increasing list prices and rebates, and instead, would require them to disclose why they classify certain medications as specialty drugs to prevent them from steering patients to PBM-affiliated specialty pharmacies rather than their preferred long-term care pharmacy.”

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