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Lawmakers seek answers as pharmacy closures hit PA communities
About 1,100 Pennsylvania pharmacies closed since 2020, raising concerns over enforcement of Act 77 and pharmacy benefit managers' impact on rural and underserved communities.
- On July 1, State Sen. Judy Ward and five other senators pressed Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys with detailed questions on Act 77 enforcement, followed by bipartisan hearings in September and October.
- PBM practices such as clawbacks and spread pricing have pressured community pharmacies, while industry turmoil and chain closures like Rite Aid stores have driven losses among independent and chain pharmacies across Pennsylvania.
- State records show about 1,100 licensed Pennsylvania pharmacies closed since early 2020, and Act 77 covers roughly 24% of the state's insurance market with reports starting in July.
- Patients and pharmacy workers say closures have left some without medicines and added travel burdens, while the Shapiro administration and Pennsylvania Insurance Department defend the law's transparency and implementation.
- Aspects of Act 77 are expected to roll out in 2026, with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department citing jurisdictional limits, while the state legislature urges further action to close enforcement gaps.
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14 Articles
14 Articles
Lawmakers seek answers as pharmacy closures hit PA communities
HARRISBURG — As pharmacy closures have continued across the state, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has questioned how the Shapiro administration is following through on the promises of a 2024 law meant to support these stores. They’ve also questioned the state’s oversight of corporate middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who manage drug plans for employers and insurance companies. Critics say they harm patients by driving up dru…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Left
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Left
57% Left
L 57%
C 43%
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