At today's Texas Pharmacy Congress meeting in Austin, the Texas Pharmacy Association is participating in discussions with other Texas #pharmacy organizations and pharmacy schools about the profession's role in rural health transformation.

TPA #pharmacist member and independent #pharmacy owner Paula Grahmann of Halletsville provided invited testimony this afternoon to Chair @GaryVanDeaver and the Texas House Public Health Committee concerning how pharmacists can play an even greater role in the state's rural health transformation efforts. "Texas has already invested heavily in rural health transformation. To maximize that investment, we should remove unnecessary barriers that prevent pharmacists from fully contributing to patient care," she said. "When pharmacists are allowed to practice at the top of their education and training, patients benefit, providers benefit, and rural communities become stronger."

We must create a level playing field for all pharmacies to compete. When the field isn’t level, it ends up tilted against the consumer. #txlege

#txlege here’s one for proof.

During today’s Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing, Senator @MollyforTexas, a nurse, said it is part of her workflow to ask her patients what #pharmacy they use. “When it’s an independent pharmacy, 100% of the time they love it. They will gush about their pharmacy,” Cook said. “It’s a really top priority to me to keep independent pharmacies across the state open, and I hope it is for the committee as well.” #txlege

"Importantly, #pharmacies are not closing because PBMs found a cheaper option elsewhere. In many cases, the PBM-owned option is actually more expensive overall," TPA member and independent #pharmacy owner Crystal McEntire explained to Chair @LoisKolkhorst and the Texas Senate Health & Human Services Committee today. "Pharmacies are closing because the PBM pays itself more and the independent pharmacy less, making the average appear fair on paper." #PBMReform #txlege

In her opening comments at today's Senate HHS Committee interim hearing concerning health care costs, Chair @LoisKolkhorst highlighted issues with #pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). "It affects you hugely. They get rebates that we don't even know what it is because we can't look in the black box and know if we're getting a good deal or a bad deal. And all the while, we're putting independent #pharmacies out of business," she said. "If you can't tell, I'm fired up about this!" #PBMReform #txlege

#txlege another independent #pharmacy has closed😕. Lots of talk on your end about helping but little meaningful action has been realized.

#txlege. Take notice please.

PASSED: The Ways and Means Committee just passed H.R. 3164, the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act. This bill enables Medicare coverage for pharmacist-provided testing, vaccinations, and treatment for common infectious diseases and is a transformative solution to expand access to care in communities facing significant physician shortages, especially across rural America. @RepAdrianSmith

I’d like to thank @dexcom for creating at 10 and 15 day G7 unit to confuse pharmacies and help pbms audit us🙄 thanks 😡

Tough day there @OptumRx @Optum @UHC? Love to see a major company ditching a big 3 PBM. Needs to happen with every company, big or small, nationwide.

Thank you to Chair @RepJamesFrank for an insightful House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability hearing today that included discussion of prescription drug costs and the role of PBMs. Frank noted the close relationship between health plans and PBMs that create opportunities for such entities to “rig the system.” Thanks also to Reps. Jay Dean, @TomOliverson, @WhartonForTexas, @DeniseForTXHD34, and others for highlighting the challenges that independent #pharmacy owners face just trying to stay open to care for patients in our state. Texas #pharmacists look forward to working with legislators to identify common-sense solutions. #PBMReform #txlege

Tennessee lawmakers have passed a major pharmacy reform bill aimed at pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, by barring companies from owning both a PBM and a pharmacy. The legislation is widely seen as targeting CVS Health, which owns Caremark and operates pharmacies across the state. Supporters say the bill is designed to curb vertical integration, restore fair competition, and protect independent pharmacies from reimbursement practices they view as harmful to patient access and community pharmacy survival. CVS has pushed back hard, warning that the new law could force it to shut down its 134 Tennessee pharmacy locations and trigger a legal challenge. The company argues the measure would reduce access for patients and does not directly address broader PBM issues like pricing or formularies. This Tennessee fight reflects a larger national battle over PBM reform, pharmacy ownership, market power, and the future of prescription drug access. Listen on Apple: vist.ly/42gd6

TPA Independent Pharmacy Academy Board Member Lee Ann Hampton and her pharmacy, @ParisApothecary, are featured in @TheParisNews. The article notes that the #pharmacy is run with cutting edge technology but old-fashioned values and service. “For me pharmacy is a passion, not a profession,” said Hampton, who is a recent recipient of both TPA’s Pharmacist of the Year and Bowl of Hygeia awards. theparisnews.com/news/valley…

Staff members from TPA's Professional Recovery Network (PRN) met with P1 student #pharmacists at @UTexasPharmacy last Wednesday to share information about the PRN program including its history, how substance abuse and mental health are defined, why health care professionals are at a higher risk than the general public for abusing substances, the benefits of being in a peer monitoring program, and the overall services that PRN provides. PRN is a nationally recognized peer assistance program dedicated to helping health care professionals enter a safe, healthy recovery from substance use or mental illness. If you or a colleague are in need of PRN’s services, you may make a referral by calling its confidential hotline at (800) 727-5152.

The PBM lobby is pulling out all the stops to kill vertical integration reform in Tennessee. They've already spent $7 million. 💸 🔎 Read more: bit.ly/4sGTLRV

“This common-sense reform will kick the fox out of the henhouse by restoring separation and transparency.” Hear from NCPA member and CEO of @TNPharmacists, @AnthonyPudlo on how the FAIR Rx Act (SB 2040 / HB 1959) is good for both community pharmacy and patients in Tennessee. bit.ly/4tTjAzb

Great meeting with @Commpharmacy to discuss recent Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform wins and how we can better support local pharmacies. I'm proud to back transparency efforts, especially the PASTEUR Act, which lowers drug costs and expands access, especially for seniors.

More #pharmacy advocacy in action! TPA members @DrBenMcNabb, @CarterHighRPh, @coates_denys and @RannonC advocating alongside @APRxNews in Washington, DC, at the offices of elected officials including @RepMcCaul. The Texas delegation is advocating for additional #PBMReform as well as Medicaid managed care payment reform and related issues as part of the 2026 @Commpharmacy Fly-In! #NCPAontheHill.