Friend,
President Trump recently announced several Executive Orders to put patients first and protect them from rising drug costs by accelerating competition, increasing transparency, and re-evaluating the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs. These middlemen only serve themselves and drive up costs—and they profit off of sick Americans and push independent pharmacies in rural communities out of business with their shady practices.
A fellow Iowan and President of the American Pharmacists Association, Dr. Randy McDonough, recently testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that “in Iowa alone, more than 200 pharmacies have closed since 2014, and a record 31 pharmacies closed in 2024.”
At a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing, I asked the chair of the FTC about ways to stop anti-competitive practices that are driving these closures and prevent PBMs from imposing egregious markups on numerous specialty and generic drugs at their affiliated pharmacies, in turn, lowering costs for patients. We must continue to hold bad actors accountable.
President Trump took this issue head-on in his first term, and he is building on these efforts now. I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump to lower costs, improve transparency, and ensure all Iowans can access affordable medications they need.
Sincerely,
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