19-04-2025
Fayetteville pharmacy reacts to act creating fairer pharmaceutical industry
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed House Bill 1150 into law April 16, creating a fairer pharmaceutical industry in the Natural State.
The bill, now enacted, aims 'to prohibit a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) from obtaining certain pharmacy permits,' which limits PBMs' abilities to be both that and pharmacies.
'This will prevent inflated drug prices, protect pharmaceutical access across our state, and help Arkansas be healthier for less money,' Sanders said in a statement.
Over in Northwest Arkansas, pharmacists like Live+Well Pharmacy's Caul Corbell have been following the status of the bill since it was introduced in January of 2025.
'We're really excited here because what we think House Bill 1150 represents is an absolute home run for the patients of Arkansas as far as their access to health care and a huge step forward in hopefully driving down the prices of drugs for patients across the state,' said Corbell.
Corbell has been a pharmacist since 2014 and has seen the ups and downs over the years of working in an industry with PBMs.
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'What those entities are set up to do is they handle distributing the pharmacy benefits that your insurance company covers, and they essentially serve as middlemen between your insurance company and a pharmacy,' he said. 'What started out once as a good thing has grown into a market that really lends itself more towards creating monopolies.'
In Corbell's experience, he said over the years he often found himself at a crossroad of caring for patients or keeping the pharmacy doors open.
'You just you see it with every prescription that you run, and you hate,' Corbell said. 'One of the things I hate the most about being a pharmacist is being in a position where you either have to, you know, take a loss for the pharmacy or take care of your patient. And you stretch it as far as you can, you know what I mean?'
As a pharmacist, Corbell said he took an oath that the patient comes first, but with an increasingly competitive market, PBMs have made it difficult for pharmacists like Corbell to uphold that oath without breaking even.
However, with the new bill signed, he said he feels thankful to the Arkansas legislation for continuing their efforts towards a pharmaceutical industry that allows those working in it to show they do truly care for their patients.
'I will never be afraid to stand up for our seniors, our veterans, and everyone else who relies on their local pharmacy to stay healthy,' said Sanders.
Though Corbell believes the industry hasn't reached perfection yet, he believes the progress is overwhelming, and the next step in the fight towards a fairer market is enforcing the new act.
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