APCI

Member-owned, group purchasing organization serving independent pharmacy with members in 31 states.

[APCI @_APCI]

Independent pharmacies are not closing because their communities no longer need them.

They are closing because too many are being asked to fill prescriptions at a loss.

This Jamestown Press article shares the perspective of Tim Baker, who owned and operated Baker’s Pharmacy in Jamestown for more than 40 years before closing the business. His experience reflects what independent pharmacies across the country continue to face: reimbursement rates that often do not cover the actual cost of serving patients.

That is not sustainable. And when a local pharmacy closes, the loss is felt by the entire community.

Fair reimbursement is not just about keeping pharmacy doors open. It is about protecting patient access, preserving local care and making sure trusted community pharmacists can continue serving the people who depend on them.

Below-cost reimbursement is not a business model. It is a warning sign.

https://t.co/bUKISx2quR

[APCI @_APCI]

Patients should come before #PBMs.

That should not be a controversial statement.

This op-ed points to one of the biggest problems in the prescription drug system: PBMs have enormous influence over which medications patients can access, what they pay at the counter and which pharmacies are allowed to serve them.

For independent pharmacies, this is not an abstract policy issue. PBM decisions can determine whether patients can continue using the local pharmacy they know and trust, or whether they are pushed somewhere else by a benefit design they did not choose.

A more accountable system should protect patient choice, preserve access to local pharmacy care and bring real transparency to PBM practices.

Patients deserve better than a system built around middlemen.

https://t.co/5qtuHUpKqE

[APCI @_APCI]

Drug pricing reform should be focused on a simple question: are savings reaching patients?

This opinion piece highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in both 340B and #PBM practices, including spread pricing, rebate pass-through and pharmacy network access.

Patients and pharmacies deserve a system that is easier to understand and built around access, not opacity.

https://t.co/U3QqT2zL14

[APCI @_APCI]

Fair pharmacy reimbursement is a patient access issue.

Louisiana lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at #PBM reimbursement practices and prescription drug affordability, including requirements tied to pharmacies’ actual drug costs.

Independent pharmacies cannot continue serving patients when they are forced to fill prescriptions at a loss. #PBMReform matters because access matters.

https://t.co/ArSiRbk8zz

[APCI @_APCI]

Independent pharmacies are not trying to become smaller versions of big retail chains.

Independents compete through relationships, local trust, accessible care and deep knowledge of the communities they serve. But they are doing that in a market shaped by consolidation, #PBM pressure and increasingly narrow margins.

Supporting independent pharmacy means supporting patient access.

https://t.co/As9WPUvCqz

[APCI @_APCI]

#PBMs are not the only middlemen raising questions about transparency and accountability in health care. The financial incentives for Medicare Advantage brokers can influence how patients are guided through important coverage decisions.

Patients deserve a system that is clear, accountable, and focused on their best interests, not one made harder to navigate by unnecessary complexity or hidden incentives.

Whether the issue is PBMs, brokers or other intermediaries, health care works best when patients come first.

https://t.co/51RienBUwj

[APCI @_APCI]

A recent Dexcom alert is an important reminder for patients using continuous glucose monitors: medical devices should only come from trusted, authorized sources.

Dexcom has identified certain G7 sensors that were intended for destruction but were reportedly stolen and resold. Patients using Dexcom G7 sensors should check the affected lot numbers and follow Dexcom’s guidance.

https://t.co/aCQ2NiKQGE

[APCI @_APCI]

AI has the potential to help pharmacy teams work smarter, not by replacing people, but by improving workflow visibility, inventory planning, patient communication and operational efficiency.

For independent pharmacies, the best technology is the kind that supports the team and strengthens patient care.
https://t.co/LgpSqqm2P0

[APCI @_APCI]

The #PBM conversation is no longer just about isolated business practices. It is about structure.

When PBMs also own or control the pharmacies dispensing medications, especially high-cost specialty drugs, the conflict of interest is clear. Patients can be pushed into restrictive networks while independent pharmacies are under-reimbursed and excluded from care.

As federal scrutiny grows, meaningful #PBMReform must address the opacity and consolidation that allow these conflicts to continue.

https://t.co/3gh0nuj7Zx

[APCI @_APCI]

What would real #PBM transparency actually look like?

That question is at the center of the latest episode of the "PBM Reform Podcast", featuring host Greg Reybold, APCI Vice President of Healthcare Policy, and Josh Golden, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Judi Health.

The episode examines the financial models behind today’s PBM industry, including rebate structures, spread pricing, administrative fees, pharmacy networks, formulary decisions, and the role of vertical integration.

For employers, plan sponsors, patients, and independent pharmacies, understanding these arrangements is essential. Too often, the current system benefits the intermediaries more than the people and organizations paying for and relying on prescription drug coverage.

Listen to the full episode here: https://t.co/v1hOCPKLPG

[APCI @_APCI]

The legal scrutiny surrounding #PBM drug pricing continues to grow.

Ohio’s attorney general is opposing efforts by Cigna, Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics to dismiss antitrust claims involving prescription drug pricing. This is another example of why #PBMreform must remain a priority at both the state and federal levels.
https://t.co/jR1x8VlQ77

[APCI @_APCI]

The PBM lobby is rolling out new messaging focused on “affordability.” The real test is not a slogan; it is whether patients can access medications, whether pharmacies are reimbursed fairly, and whether the system is transparent enough for employers, policymakers and patients to understand where the money goes.
https://t.co/BN59oS4gcn

[APCI @_APCI]

A new Pennsylvania report shows that stronger reimbursement standards could help independent pharmacies remain viable while having minimal impact on overall drug spending.

https://t.co/Tl8n05pYZV

[APCI @_APCI]

Independent pharmacists in New York are hoping #PBMReform will make it across the finish line this year. The legislative session ends next week. | @WAMCRadio
https://t.co/LV6mQOTydZ

[APCI @_APCI]

Independent pharmacies could step in if CVS makes good on its threat to close all its pharmacies in Tennessee.
https://t.co/pcQXEhxXMA

[APCI @_APCI]

Are You Getting the Most Out of OneQ?

APCI’s next webinar, Effectively Using OneQ: Maximizing Buying Opportunities & ResolveRx Reconciliation, is coming up in two weeks.

📅 Wednesday, June 10, 2026
🕛 Noon CT

Join host Bruce Harris and presenters Darlene Trimble and Brittney Withers for a practical look at how eligible APCI members can use OneQ more effectively.

OneQ gives APCI Choice and PRO members access to a variety of opportunity-based tools, including purchasing opportunities, prescription data reviews, clinical opportunities, and claims reconciliation through ResolveRx.

Register today to save your seat.

Please note: APCI website login required for registration

https://t.co/kejob9ptgI

[APCI @_APCI]

ICYMI from last week, Sen. Warren presses the DOD on ESI's reimbursements and conflicts of interest in the TRICARE program.
https://t.co/om4CRntpSz

[APCI @_APCI]

Independent pharmacies shouldn't have to "think outside the box" to survive, but with the reimbursements #PBMs are paying, the do have to find alternate revenue sources. | @KBIA
https://t.co/d8Jsx0pDjv

[APCI @_APCI]

Rhode Island looks to license and regulate #PBMs.
https://t.co/zxY6A1YvwH

[APCI @_APCI]

CVS sued Tennessee over #PBMReform law banning #PBMs from owning pharmacies. | @Fox43Knox
https://t.co/TaALbpiY6I