Alexandria, Va., Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Community Pharmacists Association is applauding the first meaningful federal reforms to pharmacy benefit manager practices, signed into law today by President Donald Trump. The measures are contained in a bill to fund the Department of Health and Human Services. The new law requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to define and enforce “reasonable and relevant” Medicare Part D contract terms, and gives enforcement authority; promotes transparency by allowing CMS to track payment trends to pharmacies and pharmacy inclusion in PBM networks, including a new designation of essential retail pharmacies; and prohibits PBM compensation in Medicare Part D from being tied to the manufacturer’s list price of a drug in an effort to reduce drug prices and save money for taxpayers.
“Community pharmacy owners are the canary in the coal mine when it comes to federal or state prescription programs,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA. “For years, our members and we have been telling anyone who will listen — and worked to convince others who wouldn’t listen — about the PBM-insurer conglomerates gobbling up market share, driving up drug costs, crushing small-business pharmacies, and making it more difficult for patients to receive the care they need. We’ve been warning that unless action is taken, more pharmacies will close, and more pharmacy deserts will grow. Unfortunately, as time passed, we were proven correct and finally, there is action to help reverse these trends.
“We’re grateful to our champions in Congress and to the president for seeing these provisions across the finish line in the face of tremendous pressure by PBM-insurers to maintain the status quo,” Hoey continued. “The pharmacy payment model is changing, and we’ll keep fighting to secure the best possible outcomes for independent community and long-term care pharmacies and their patients.”
Enactment of these provisions follows countless outreach efforts by NCPA and its members over the years, including phone calls and other messages to Capitol Hill, pharmacy visits with legislators and their staff, and meetings. Its recent Finish the Fight campaign generated almost 100,000 letters to Congress from patients demanding PBM reform. NCPA relaunched the campaign in December with fresh digital advertising assets. In just six weeks, more than 12,000 letters were delivered to Congress. In 2024, the campaign helped send in over 80,000 messages.
View the latest digital ad, “PBM Fat Cats,” here on NCPA’s YouTube page.
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Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing over 18,900 pharmacies that employ more than 235,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America's most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.
Andie Pivarunas NCPA andrea.pivarunas@ncpa.org