Latest news with #ArkansasLaw
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
CVS and Express Scripts sue Arkansas over restriction on pharmacy benefit managers
CVS and Express Scripts asked a federal judge on Thursday to block a law prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from owning or operating pharmacies in Arkansas, challenging the first such restriction enacted by a state. The lawsuits come a little over a month after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the legislation restricting pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs, which run prescription drug coverage for big clients that include health insurers and employers that provide coverage. Supporters of the Arkansas law have said it's needed because PBMs are forcing independent pharmacies, especially those in rural areas, to close. But in its lawsuit, Express Scripts said the measure would end up having 'devastating consequences' and force pharmacies around the state to close. 'And it will create mass confusion among Arkansans about where and how they can receive needed prescription medications, irreparably breaking bonds that patients have formed over many years with their pharmacists and pharmacy-provided home-visit nurses,' the company's lawsuit said. In a separate lawsuit, CVS said the new law 'represents an assault on free commerce between the states and the foundational principles of fair-market competition that underpin the Union.' CVS, which ran TV ads urging Sanders to veto the legislation, has said it would have to close its 23 retail pharmacies in the state if the law takes effect. Attorney General Tim Griffin defended the law on Thursday, saying PBMs' 'wield outsized power to reap massive profits at the expense of consumers.' 'Through Act 624, Arkansas is standing up to PBMs on behalf of consumers, and I will vigorously defend our law,' Griffin said in a statement. Arkansas is among several states where lawmakers have taken up efforts to regulate PBMs, and a group of attorneys general urged Congress last month to pass legislation similar to Arkansas' law.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
CVS and Express Scripts sue Arkansas over restriction on pharmacy benefit managers
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — CVS and Express Scripts asked a federal judge on Thursday to block a law prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from owning or operating pharmacies in Arkansas, challenging the first such restriction enacted by a state. The lawsuits come a little over a month after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the legislation restricting pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs, which run prescription drug coverage for big clients that include health insurers and employers that provide coverage. Supporters of the Arkansas law have said it's needed because PBMs are forcing independent pharmacies, especially those in rural areas, to close. But in its lawsuit, Express Scripts said the measure would end up having 'devastating consequences' and force pharmacies around the state to close. 'And it will create mass confusion among Arkansans about where and how they can receive needed prescription medications, irreparably breaking bonds that patients have formed over many years with their pharmacists and pharmacy-provided home-visit nurses,' the company's lawsuit said. In a separate lawsuit, CVS said the new law 'represents an assault on free commerce between the states and the foundational principles of fair-market competition that underpin the Union.' CVS, which ran TV ads urging Sanders to veto the legislation, has said it would have to close its 23 retail pharmacies in the state if the law takes effect. Attorney General Tim Griffin defended the law on Thursday, saying PBMs' 'wield outsized power to reap massive profits at the expense of consumers.' 'Through Act 624, Arkansas is standing up to PBMs on behalf of consumers, and I will vigorously defend our law,' Griffin said in a statement. Arkansas is among several states where lawmakers have taken up efforts to regulate PBMs, and a group of attorneys general urged Congress last month to pass legislation similar to Arkansas' law.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Arkansas State Police investigating deadly shooting involving wanted man in Faulkner County
TWIN GROVES, Ark. – Officials with the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office have requested that the Arkansas State Police investigate a deadly shooting involving an officer from the Arkansas Department of Corrections (DOC) K-9 team Thursday night. According to a release, FCSO deputies issued an alert on Thursday to be on the lookout for 41-year-old Joseph Blair of Faulkner County who was an absconder from the DOC and was considered armed and dangerous. After tracking him throughout the day with the help of the U.S. Marshals, Blair was eventually located around 6:30 p.m. in a wooded area near Solomon Grove Baptist Church where deputies said he was armed with a firearm. Faulkner County man arrested Friday in father's deadly shooting Authorities said that DOC officers fired at Blair and killing him. He was pronounced dead by the Faulkner County Coroner at 8:30 p.m. Blair's body will be transported to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to determine the manner and cause of death. Investigators with the ASP will be preparing a case file to present to the Faulkner County Prosecutor who will determine if the deadly use of force was consistent with Arkansas Law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
