Pharmacists, business groups clash over pharmacy reimbursement provision in state budget

The Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee heard competing testimony Tuesday evening on a budget amendment in Sub House Bill 96 that would require pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to reimburse Ohio-incorporated pharmacies for drug acquisition costs plus a dispensing fee to be set by the Ohio Department of Insurance.

Why it matters: Independent pharmacists and the Ohio Pharmacists Association told senators the change is necessary to halt rapid pharmacy closures and preserve patient access in rural and underserved ZIP codes. PBM industry representatives and a national trade group said the provision would raise costs for employers and consumers, interfere with private contracts and could create a per-prescription “pill tax.”

Molly Machram, director of health care policy for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber opposes the provision because it was “inserted into the house omnibus version of the budget…