ALEXANDRIA, Va. (April 5, 2022) – The West Virginia Independent Pharmacy Association and the National Community Pharmacists Association are applauding HB 4112, a patient choice bill signed into law last week by Gov. Jim Justice (R). HB 4112 gives patients greater authority to choose which in-network pharmacy fills their prescriptions and would address the arbitrary “specialty” designation that pharmacy benefit managers use to steer patients to PBM-owned pharmacies.
“HB 4112 will help patients retain access to their trusted pharmacy by protecting their right to choose the in-network pharmacy provider that is best for them,” WVIPA and NCPA wrote in a letter thanking Gov. Justice for signing the bill. “Too often, that choice is stripped from patients by their pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), which forces patients to use a particular pharmacy to fill their prescriptions, pa11icularly high-cost specialty drug prescriptions.
“Coupled with protections in existing law, the provisions of HB 4112 will protect patient choice from PBM conflicts of interests by giving patients greater authority to choose which in-network pharmacy to fill their prescriptions. Thank you for your continued support for patients and small business pharmacies in West Virginia.”
WVIPA put in countless hours to secure this victory for West Virginia pharmacies and patients. NCPA worked to reinforce their efforts and in March sent a letter of support to Gov. Justice.
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Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing nearly 19,400 pharmacies that employ approximately 215,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America’s most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.
