Pharmacy Benefit Manager Bill Signed Into Law
HB357 Approved by Governor DeSantis
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 357: Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers, sponsored by State Rep. Jackie Toledo (R-Tampa). It was sent to him for consideration after passing with unanimous, bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate during the 2022 Legislative Session.
“PBMs are middlemen in the prescription drug supply chain, said outgoing FPA CEO Michael Jackson. These wealthy, influential companies are uniquely positioned to prey on local pharmacies – which are often designed to serve the underserved in rural and inner-city neighborhoods – eliminating healthy competition in order to further line their executives’ own pockets. They hurt small businesses and thereby compromise patient care, and those involved in Florida’s Medicaid program profit millions of taxpayer dollars annually.”
“The signage of HB 357 sends a clear message: Enough is enough. Long overdue, PBMs will now be subject to existing regulation under the Office of Insurance Regulation, ensuring they comply with strict requirements intended to protect community and independent pharmacies, patients in need, and hard-working taxpayers.
The FPA wishes to thank the governor for his actions on this legislation, and we also extend our gratitude to Rep. Jackie Toledo, Sen. Tom Wright, and Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez for championing such an important issue during the recent legislative session.
The Florida Pharmacy Association worked extensively with the Empower Patients Coalition. Ultimately, Empower Patients has gained significant momentum of late, and we look forward to building on our work to continue righting the wrongs of unfair PBM business practices and instilling a necessary level of transparency within Florida’s pharmacy industry in the years ahead.
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About the Florida Pharmacy Association
The Florida Pharmacy Association (FPA)is a statewide professional pharmacy organization working to unify and strengthen the voice of pharmacy while advancing pharmacy practice through education, advocacy collaboration, and relationships.
About EMPOWER Patients
The EMPOWER Patients coalition formed in 2020 to focus on supporting policies that empower patients to take back control of their health care, increase access to affordable medication, restore the patient/pharmacist relationship, and drastically cut the role of prescription drug middlemen in prescription drug decision making. EMPOWER Patients is comprised of the American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc., Aspire Health Pharmacy Services, Florida Independent Pharmacy Network, Florida Pharmacy Association, Pharmacy Provider Services Corporation, Walgreens, and hundreds of neighborhood Florida pharmacies.
