A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced the Save Local Pharmacies Act , aimed at securing essential healthcare and reducing costs for Virginians.
Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, and Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Charlottesville, will present the bill in this year’s legislative session. The proposal seeks to realign Virginia’s Medicaid pharmacy benefit under a single state-contracted pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) to save families and protect pharmacists.
Dr. Anna Peoples, owner of Peoples Pharmacy in Norfolk and a pharmacist with over 30 years of experience, emphasized the urgency of the legislation. She noted that many Virginians struggle to access essential health care, including medications and vaccines.
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“It seems like it’s profits over health. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything,” Dr. Peoples said.