Pharmacies are closing at a pace our communities cannot afford. In 2024, according to NYC Center for an Urban Future, 10% of all New York City pharmacies shut down. Behind these closures is a quiet but devastating force: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These powerful middlemen dictate what pharmacies are paid for prescriptions, and too often, they set reimbursement rates so low that pharmacies lose money with every prescription they fill.

 

Sometimes it’s $100 or more lost on a single medication. No business model can survive under these conditions. As a result, patients are paying the price. Pharmacies forced to operate at a loss eventually close. Families in underserved areas are left without nearby care. What emerges are pharmacy deserts. Pharmacy deserts are not just problems for rural New York. When pharmacies in The Bronx shut down, we force our aging patients to walk dozens of blocks just to access their medication. This is a healthcare crisis, and it is only getting worse.

 

That is why pharmacists across New York gathered last month in The Bronx to demand action. We are banding together and urging our elected officials to prioritize passing the Patient Access to Pharmacy Act (PAPA) this session. Sponsored by State Sen. James Skoufis and Assemblymember John McDonald, the bill (S5939/A5882) would require PBMs to reimburse pharmacies fairly, at rates that at least cover the actual cost of the drug.

 

This is not a radical ask. It’s the same standard already in place for New York’s Medicaid program. Expanding this protection to all New Yorkers is common sense.  Without PAPA, PBMs will continue to exploit a broken system, consolidate power, and push independent pharmacies out of existence. With PAPA, we can preserve access to care, keep prices down, and protect patients from becoming collateral damage in a battle over profits.

 

This fight is not about politics; it is about patients. Every New Yorker deserves access to essential medication, and to the trusted guidance of their pharmacist. But unless Albany acts, that access will disappear for thousands of families. Gov. Hochul and our state legislators have a choice: stand with patients and pass the Patient Access to Pharmacy Act, or stand aside as PBMs continue to dismantle the pharmacy safety net. For the sake of every New Yorker who depends on their local pharmacy, the time to act is now.

 

Adam Agovino is owner of Sedgwick Pharmacy, 3887 Sedgwick Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10463.

 

Editor’s Note: Norwood News was late reaching out to the Office of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for comment on this op-ed before we went to print. Her spokesperson said the governor will review the legislation accordingly.

 

In other pharmacy-related news, Healthfirst, a not-for-profit health plan serving more than two million New Yorkers, announced the winners of its inaugural Pharmacy Excellence Awards on Oct. 14, recognizing 12 community pharmacies across New York City for outstanding work in improving the health of its Medicare members. Three of the awarded pharmacies are local to The Bronx: Felicity Pharmacy, located at 621 East Tremont Avenue, SJS Pharmacy Inc., located at 105 East Burnside Avenue, and Victor Pharmacy, located at 662 Morris Avenue. 

 

Healthfirst officials said the awards are part of a Healthfirst program which equips community and independent pharmacists with new tools and technology to help close care gaps, improve medication adherence, and provide timely support for Healthfirst Medicare members. They said among hundreds of participating community pharmacies, the 12 award winners achieved the highest rates of medication adherence and proactive pharmacy interventions to close gaps in care in 2024.