Insider NJ: New Jersey Can’t Wait Any Longer on PBM Reform

By Jeanette Hoffman, Patients Come First New Jersey’s Executive Director

For years, New Jersey lawmakers have heard the same message from independent pharmacists, patients, employers, and healthcare advocates: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) wield enormous power over prescription drug pricing, often at the expense of the very people our healthcare system is supposed to serve.

Yet, despite consensus from Governor Sherrill and lawmakers that reform is urgently needed, meaningful legislation has once again stalled in the New Jersey Legislature.

That needs to change.

When the Legislature returns in the fall to tackle affordability issues, PBM reform should be among its highest priorities. Because of these companies' monopolistic behavior, healthcare costs continue to climb and patients face unncessary barriers to accessing their medications.

Read the full op-ed in Insider NJ here.