Rep. Harshbarger introduces legislation aimed at lowering drug costs for Americans

Northeast Tennessee Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger has introduced her first bill as a lawmaker.

Harshbarger introduced the Pharmacy Benefit Managers Accountability Act of 2021, which seeks to require the Government Accountability Office to study the role of PBM’s in the pharmacy supply chain while providing Congress with appropriate policy recommendations for areas like increasing transparency, improving competition, and lowering costs.

PBM’s are according to Harshbarger, the middlemen who negotiate payments between insurers, pharmacies, and drug companies while they also set which drugs are covered, their prices, and drug reimbursement rates.

“As a pharmacist myself, I understand the need for greater transparency and competition among PBMs in order to help lower the cost of prescription drugs,” said Congresswoman Harshbarger. “The PBM Accountability Study Act would require a study on the role of PBMs and recommend ways to improve their operational efficiency and lower costs in pharmaceutical supply chains. PBM reforms are one critical component toward lowering the costs of prescription drugs for Americans and ensuring pharmacists can best meet the needs of patients, and this act would be a step in the right direction for achieving these goals.”

The measure is the House of Representatives companion to S. 298, the PBM Accountability Study Act of 2021, which was introduced by Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn.

Photo Courtesy: Diana Harshbarger Official Photo