Since 2020, more than 1,000 pharmacies have closed in Pennsylvania – including three in Warren County.

That means it’s harder for many in rural counties like ours to get their prescriptions filled. Customers have to drive longer distances and, at times, pay more. The mass closure crisis has led to expanding pharmacy deserts, defined as an area where residents no longer have reasonable access to a local pharmacy, throughout the state.

It’s one reason why a bipartisan bill introduced recently in the state Senate to protect local pharmacies like Gaughn’s Drug Store in Warren County is interesting. Senate Bill 1186 seeks to protect patient access to pharmacies by establishing a single pharmacy benefit administrator (PBA) model for Pennsylvania’s state-funded health care programs.

Moving to a PBA, Senators Lisa Boscola and Judy Ward say, would allow the state Department of Human Services to competitively contract with one pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) to administer all prescription drug benefit programs, which would eliminate the patchwork of pharmacy benefit managers. The senators said doing so will provide fair and transparent reimbursement to cover pharmacies’ costs and protect patient access to health care. The legislation would also prohibit the state-chosen single PBA from engaging in predatory practices such as patient steering, spread pricing and specialty drug designation manipulation.

It’s an interesting bill, and it’s encouraging that the legislation has bipartisan cosponsorship. But the lawmakers should pay attention to the recommendations of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association as well while pursuing PBM reform. The association calls for the state to raise the Medicaid dispensing fee so that the state matches required levels so that local pharmacies aren’t losing money on Medicaid or PACE prescriptions and, at the same time, help low-income residents get their prescriptions. The pharmacists also call on fair reimbursement for all pharmacies instead of the pharmacies owned by Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Doing so, the pharmacists say, will help local pharmacies continue operating. Finally, the state Pharmacists Association calls for guaranteed payment of pharmacists’ clinical services, things that include medication therapy management, clinical evaluation, point-of-care testing, immunizations and other time-based services provided by trained pharmacists.

Warren County residents have seen what happens when local pharmacies close. It’s time for the state to do what it can to level the playing field. Listening to the Pharmacists Association is a good place to start.