Prescription
COSTS
in Alabama are
OUT OF
CONTROL
The actions of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are a major factor driving up prescription prices. Alabama must rein in these powerful middlemen in the drug supply chain.
TOGETHER
we will make
a difference
Watch the video to learn more about how these massive middlemen abuse the prescription drug system
What are
PHARMACY
BENEFIT
MANAGERS
(PBMs)?
PBMs are corporate middlemen who control which medications your insurance covers, where you can fill your prescriptions, and how much you pay. Originally created to process prescription claims, the largest PBMs have grown into massive corporations that own their own pharmacies and insurance companies. The largest PBMs control 80 percent of the prescriptions written in the U.S. and rake in billions of dollars in profit each year.
- PBMs inflate drug prices, making you pay more than necessary.
- They force patients into mail-order pharmacies, cutting off local options.
- PBMs often require patients to get expensive brand-name medications instead of much cheaper and equally effective generic drugs.
- In rural areas, independent pharmacies are often the only health care providers. Their closure creates pharmacy “deserts.”
- Independent pharmacies are being forced to close because PBMs pay them less than the cost of the medication.
Estimates based on a sample of Georgia PBM Public NADAC report filings as required by GA. Code 33-64-9.1. Data accessed via PBM self hosted websites under state disclosure requirements for claims dispensed between January 1st 2024 and August 31st 2024.
BIG
BUSINESS
wants to keep the
STATUS QUO
Powerful corporate interests in Alabama want to maintain the current system because they profit from high drug prices. These special interests influence lawmakers to block reform, putting their bottom line ahead of your health.
GET THE FACTS
Reform opponents share false claims about pharmacy dispensing fees.
Here’s the truth:
Businesses have costs beyond the goods they sell – things like rent, utilities, and employee wages. To stay open, businesses set prices that cover these costs.
Pharmacies don’t have that option. Unlike other businesses, they can’t control the price of the medications they dispense – PBMs set that price for them. That’s where the dispensing fee comes in. It is a payment from the insurance company to the pharmacy to help cover the costs of filling prescriptions, including the professional expertise of the pharmacist.
PBM reform opponents don’t want you to know that the dispensing fee is not an extra charge for patients. PBM reform legislation in Alabama legislature specifically states that insurance companies—not patients—must pay this fee.
Don’t fall for misinformation. PBM reform is about a level playing field for pharmacies, lower costs for patients, and keeping independent pharmacies in business—so you always have access to the care you need.
PBM Reform
WORKS
in Other States
States like Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, and many more have passed meaningful PBM reform laws, leading to lower prescription costs and better access to local pharmacies. Alabama can do the same.
- Ensure fair pricing for medications.
- Give you the right to choose your pharmacy.
- Stop PBMs from overcharging for prescriptions.
- Keep local pharmacies open and accessible.
Take Action Today!
Tell Alabama lawmakers to stand up for patients, not corporate middlemen. Complete the form below to find your legislators and their phone numbers. Make the call and urge your representatives to support PBM reform in Alabama!