PBMs threaten community lifeline of local pharmacies

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) detrimentally impact our rural towns and health care systems. As a lifelong resident of a rural community, I have witnessed firsthand how the increasing power of PBMs is threatening our main street independent pharmacies.

In small towns, the local pharmacy is not just a place to pick up prescriptions; it's a lifeline for many. Our independent pharmacies provide personalized care, and a sense of community that larger chain pharmacies simply cannot replicate. However, the escalating influence of PBMs is pushing local, independent pharmacies out of the market and leaving rural patients with fewer and fewer options. According to the Iowa Pharmacist Tracking System, the number of Iowa communities with an independent pharmacist declined by 46 percent from 1999 to 2021.

Without these pharmacies, residents face longer distances to access essential medications and health care advice — this puts a strain on those who are elderly, disabled, or lack reliable transportation. The closure of these pharmacies also means the loss of vital health care jobs that contribute to the economic stability of our rural towns.

We need our elected officials to address this issue by passing reforms that will provide much needed transparency in PBM practices. Thankfully legislation has been introduced at the federal level, but as a rural resident I am interested to know where each of the presidential candidates stand on this critical issue as well.

Dwight Baldwin, president, Iowa State Grange

Kellogg