Arkansas passes bill to prohibit PBM ownership of pharmacies

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on April 16 signed into law, HB 1150, legislation that prohibits state permits to pharmacies owned by pharmacy benefit managers effective Jan. 1, 2026. The Arkansas Pharmacists Association worked to advance the bill. “Today is a new day in Arkansas for our patients as the fox will no longer guard the henhouse,” said John Vinson, APA’s CEO. “This bipartisan legislation passed overwhelmingly to protect public health and safety for Arkansans. HB 1150 will stop the abusive self-dealing at PBM affiliated pharmacies that raises prescription drug prices and limits patient access. The National Community Pharmacists Association supported the APAP during the process. “Time and time again, PBMs have proven themselves to be resistant to transparency and reform,” said Anne Cassity, NCPA’s senior vice president of government affairs. “HB 1150 is a structural change that gets to the heart of the problem – the conflicts of interest inherent in vertical integration that PBMs have been manipulating to the detriment of patients, taxpayers, and pharmacies. We applaud HB 1150 and are eager to see its provisions implemented in Arkansas and, ideally, throughout the country.” Since the introduction of HB 1150, similar ownership provisions were introduced or amended into bills in Indiana, New York, Texas, and Vermont. Additionally, on April 14, a bipartisan coalition of 39 state and territory attorneys general sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to pass legislation prohibiting PBMs from owning or operating pharmacies.