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Panel moves forward with pilot to shore up independent pharmacies; patron cites $600,000 appropriation
Summary
House Bill 335, a pilot to support independent pharmacies in underserved and rural localities, was reported and referred to appropriations 9–0. Sponsor said the pilot includes roughly a $600,000 appropriation aimed at supporting 10–12 pharmacies with EHRs, telepharmacy and workforce stabilization.
Delegate Anthony presented HB 335 as a scaled pilot drawn from the joint commission on health care’s report on pharmacy access. He said community pharmacies in Virginia declined 8.4% from 2014–2024 and that many localities face single-pharmacy or pharmacy-desert conditions. The bill aims to stabilize independent pharmacies by expanding clinical services, supporting telepharmacy, stabilizing workforce pipelines and diversifying revenue streams.
The sponsor told the committee the pilot includes an appropriation; when asked for the amount he replied, "Approximately 600 K," and said the funding would support 10–12 pharmacies in the pilot. Multiple stakeholders including the Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists, independent pharmacists, the Virginia Community Pharmacy Association, and health-plan representatives testified in favor, describing the role of independent pharmacies in underserved communities and the need to invest in infrastructure such as EHR systems.
The subcommittee voted to report and refer HB 335 to appropriations by a vote of 9–0.
