National – In a CNBC interview Tuesday morning, President Trump announced that his administration will unveil new tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals “within the next week or so.” The move is part of a broader push to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., with Trump stating, “We want them made in the United States.” While details on semiconductor tariffs remain forthcoming, he noted that pharmaceutical import taxes could phase in gradually and potentially reach as high as 250%. To learn more, check out the Wall Street Journal article.
American Medical Association (AMA) analysis revealed a lack of competition and extensive vertical integration in the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) market. Based on 2022–2023 data, the report shows that four PBMs: OptumRx, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Prime Therapeutics controlled 67% of the national market. Additionally, 77% of commercial and Medicare Part D enrollees were in plans where the insurer and PBM were vertically integrated.
Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) introduced Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act (H.R. 5031). The bill proposes temporary supply fee payments to long-term care pharmacies under Medicare Part D for plan years 2026 and 2027. It mandates a $30 fee per eligible prescription in 2026, with an inflation-adjusted increase in 2027, and enforces compliance through civil penalties. The bill also provides federal subsidies to reimburse plan sponsors and requires a GAO study on the economic sustainability of long-term care pharmacies, with recommendations to ensure continued access, especially in rural areas.
Massachusetts – S 2543, titled An Act Strengthening Health Care Protections in the Commonwealth (SHIELD Act) was enacted this month. As a reminder, the bill aims to reinforce legal protections for individuals seeking or providing reproductive and gender-affirming health care. The legislation prohibits state and local agencies from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into health care services that are legal in Massachusetts. It also enhances privacy protections by restricting the disclosure of personal information related to providers and patients involved in legally protected care.
Industry Watch: Healthcare News
Washington, D.C (August 27) The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) applauds Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) and Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), along with cosponsors Representatives Buddy Carter (R-GA-1), Brian Jack (R-GA-3), Sharice Davids (D-KS-3), and Deborah Ross (D-NC-2), on the introduction of H.R. 5031, the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act. This legislation is critical for ensuring that the more than two million seniors and others in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the country retain access to essential medications and LTC pharmacy services. To read the full article, click here.
1 big thing: Sandoz CEO on tariffs and Trump 2.0
AXIOS (August 26) - As big drug companies line up to announce new U.S. jobs and plants in the face of Trump tariff threats, generics giant Sandoz is sending a different message. The big picture: CEO Richard Saynor is telling the Trump administration it should use carrots, not sticks, with generic drug makers that account for more than 90% of U.S. prescriptions but that compete on price and volume — to a point where, as he puts it, antibiotics sell for less than a packet of M&Ms. Click here for the full article.
Why Banning PBM-Owned Pharmacies Risks Patient Care
Pharmacy Times: Op-Ed (August 25) - The recent court-ordered pause on Arkansas’s Act 624—a first-in-the-nation ban on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) owning pharmacies—has, for now, delayed a change that could have disrupted care for patients who rely on specialty pharmacy services. Its broad restrictions make no distinction between poor practices and effective care models and would limit access based solely on ownership. With the law on hold pending appeal, there is an important opportunity to carefully consider how such a ban would affect those who depend on complex, coordinated therapy. Check out the full op-ed here.
Hospitals make painful choices as federal cutbacks add to economic headwinds
Washington, D.C (August 7) – AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) released an article Hospitals make painful choices as federal cutbacks add to economic headwinds. The article reads, In the face of funding reductions and business challenges, academic health systems reduce staff, press lawmakers for relief, and work to keep patients insured. Up to 650 layoffs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in Tennessee. More than 200 positions eliminated at UC San Diego Health. A hiring pause at Dartmouth Health in New Hampshire. Click here to read the full article.
Pharmacy Orgs Urge Court to Uphold Tennessee’s Right to Regulate PBMs | NCPA
Washington, D.C (August 6) - The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) filed a joint amicus brief in federal court in support of Tennessee’s law to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. Check out the full press release here.
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