Missouri Pharmacy Association

11/20/2025

The PBMs, once known for reducing drug costs, no longer exist. Literally, they are no longer independent companies. They sit inside the insurance giants that own them. Cash machines to help health conglomerates hit quarterly numbers.

If Americans want to pay less for prescription drugs, there is no way to do it without reforming the Pharmacy Benefit Manager industry. Congress should do

11/20/2025

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/crapo-wyden-to-reintroduce-bipartisan-pbm-package/806012/

Republicans and Democrats couldn’t be further apart on how to address the looming ACA affordability cliff. But there seems to be a path forward on curbing pharmacy benefit managers.

11/20/2025

Please, contact your legislators. Meet with them face-to-face. Visit www.stoppbmabuse.com today.

70 years in business...

The continued closings of pharmacies must be a wakeup call for lawmakers to hold PBMs accountable before all pharmacies disappear.

https://wchsnetwork.com/2025/11/19/fruth-selling-all-pharmacy-practices-to-walgreens-after-more-than-70-years-in-business/

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Fruth, which has a dozen stores in West Virginia, has announced a sale of its pharmacies to Walgreens.Fruth has served residents in the Mountain State since 1952 when founder Jack Fruth opened the first store in Point Pleasant.Lynne FruthFruth’s daughter, Lynne Fruth, took ov...

11/20/2025

Calling All Pharmacists: Immunization Training Opens for Registration!

There is a surge of interest in immunization training, so University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis is hosting a virtual session on January 10, 2026!

Everything you need to know:

How To Register: Email Catherine.Gilmore@uhsp.edu
Cost: $500 (checks payable to UHSP)
*Includes: 20 hours of CPE (8 hours live)

Register by December 20 to ensure you receive your home-study materials in time

IMPORTANT: This program is for pharmacists only — not technicians.

11/20/2025

Don't forget to follow our Stop PBM Abuse page!

Lowering patients' drug costs requires reforms to the PBM market. These reforms should address PBMs' growing use of group purchasing organizations (GPOs).

11/20/2025

Wholesale Acquisition Costs (WACs) for a number of popular drugs are coming down. Act immediately: review your inventory, cross-check products with WAC decreases, and streamline your inventory. Check for notices from your wholesalers and get started now — If you don’t, you could lose tens of thousands of dollars in excess costs by getting stuck with the higher-priced drug versus the same drug with a lower WAC! Wholesalers are implementing return blocks, with more to come, so if you haven't already returned those products, you're likely stuck with those higher WAC products.

Wholesale Acquisition Costs (WACs) for a number of popular drugs are coming down. Act immediately: review your inventory, cross-check products with WAC decreases, and streamline your inventory. Check for notices from your wholesalers and get started now — If you don’t, you could lose tens of tho...

11/17/2025

Episode 34 is officially out! This is a good one!

Happy Monday, Pharmacy Frontiers! Episode 34 is out! In this episode of Pharmacy Frontiers, we sit down with Curt Wood, owner and president of Elder Care Pharmacy Consultants. Curt specializes in optimizing medication therapy for elderly residents and ensuring long-term care facilities stay compliant with regulations. His work helps guarantee that residents receive the right medications, in the right doses, aligned with their health goals.

Curt highlights the rapidly growing need for pharmacists in elder care. Check out these numbers:

- 1.7 million people turned 80 in 2024
- 3 million will hit age 80 in 2031
- Over 40 million will turn 80 by 2038

While not all will require long-term care, those who do will rely heavily on skilled healthcare professionals — especially pharmacists. Curt emphasizes that nothing can replace hands-on evaluation and human decision-making. As people live longer, the real question becomes: Are we living better?

He reminds listeners that are far more than dispensers — they are highly trained clinicians with deep medication expertise!

Listen here for more: https://www.youtube.com/-MO

You can find on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and YouTube!

11/14/2025

Check the comments for a link to tell congress to pass PBM reform now!

11/14/2025

MISSOURI PHARMACISTS: NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT ON PBM REFORM! (watch your email for more information on our campaign to )!

**Why It Must Be Personal**
Emails and form letters are helpful—but in-person conversations move the needle. Legislators remember the pharmacist who invited them behind the counter, walked them through a patient interaction, or explained how below-cost reimbursements threaten their ability to stay open.

This year, PBM reform will not happen without your voice and your presence. Missouri legislators need to hear directly from the who care for our communities every single day—and they need to hear it face-to-face.

We are asking every MPA member to personally engage with their state Representative and Senator.

What You Can Do Right Now

✔ Invite your legislators to your pharmacy.

Show them what PBM practices look like in the real world. Walk them through claims. Show them reimbursement issues. Let them see the impact on workflow, patient care, and the long-term viability of your business.

✔ Meet them for coffee or a brief in-district visit.

A 10–15-minute conversation can change the direction of legislation. Personal stories—your stories—carry the most weight.

✔ Explain why PBM reform matters for your patients:

-Protecting patient access to care

-Preserving pharmacy choice and keeping local pharmacies open

-Ensuring a fair and level playing field for all pharmacies

-Securing a future for the profession so pharmacists can keep serving Missouri families

Your voice is trusted. Your story is powerful. And lawmakers need to hear it directly from you!

PHARMACISTS: Visit www.stoppbmabuse.com for an updated, pre-written letter (editable) which you can send to them AND ask them to meet up, or click here:

https://ujoin.co/campaigns/4078/actions/public?action_id=5984

11/11/2025

https://ncpa.org/newsroom/qam/2025/11/11/wac-reductions-likely-coming-soon

For myriad reasons, NCPA expects a significant number of WAC price decreases at the end of the year. Pharmacies are strongly encouraged to pay attention to announcements from manufacturers and wholesalers about how these WAC changes will be implemented and any processes they put in place to help pha...

11/11/2025

🇺🇸 Honoring Our Veterans 🇺🇸

Today, the Missouri Pharmacy Association proudly salutes the brave men and women who have served our country. Your dedication, courage, and sacrifice inspire us every day. Thank you for protecting our freedoms and for continuing to make a difference in our communities.