LETTER: Sen. Ron Wyden’s efforts on Pharmacy Benefit Manager reforms is much appreciated

Published 11:40 am Tuesday, April 16, 2024

As the owner of Brooklyn Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy in Portland, I’m extremely grateful for Sen. Ron Wyden’s work in Congress to pass much needed reforms to Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) practices that threaten patients and community pharmacies throughout Oregon and throughout the country.

Thirty-five pharmacies closed in Oregon in 2023. Those that remain open are struggling with PBM practices that are negatively impacting small pharmacies and the valued customers they serve.

PBMs are the healthcare middlemen working between drug manufacturers and pharmacies. Just the top three PBMs control roughly 80% of the prescriptions on the market today, and they use that power to essentially dictate where and when patients can access the prescription medications and treatments they need to treat a range of conditions.

PBMs have been known to steer patients to their own specialty or mail-order pharmacies by requiring a higher copay if the patient obtains their medication from a non-affiliated pharmacy. That forces patients to go out of their way to get the care they need while taking customers away from community pharmacies like mine.

The community suffers when a pharmacy closes and many independent pharmacies are on the brink. Senator Wyden deserves a lot of credit for continuing to push the issue of PBM reform in Congress. Hopefully, Oregon’s congressional delegation—and the rest of Congress—will follow his lead and help take a stand against the unfair PBM practices and policies that are putting independent pharmacies out of business while threatening patient access.

Pat Hubbell, Southeast Portland