Emily Austin, sports broadcaster and political commentator, said that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) function as middlemen that elevate drug costs and contribute to the closure of local pharmacies, while calling on Congress to include reform measures to protect patient access.
Austin’s comments come amid ongoing debate over the role of PBMs in the U.S. healthcare system and their impact on prescription costs and pharmacy closures. According to Austin’s post on X, she referenced President Trump’s prior actions on drug pricing through an executive order and urged immediate congressional action, highlighting the effect of PBMs on escalating costs and pharmacy shutdowns.
"President Trump was right to call out PBMs — the hidden middlemen driving up drug prices while local pharmacies shut their doors (...) More than 7,800 pharmacies have closed since 2018, leaving hundreds of communities without access to medicine (...) Every day Congress delays PBM reform, patients pay more and small pharmacies disappear (...) PBM reform means lower drug prices, real competition, and accountability — exactly what Americans expect and what President Trump demanded," Austin said.
Recent studies support concerns about the effects of PBM practices. In Ohio, a state audit found that PBMs overcharged Medicaid by $225 million through spread pricing practices. This resulted in financial strain for independent pharmacies and contributed to closures in rural areas. The Ohio Attorney General reported that such tactics have forced many local pharmacies out of business, limiting patient access to medications.
A Health Affairs study found that nearly 30 percent of U.S. retail pharmacies operating from 2010 to 2020 had closed by 2021, with independent outlets in Black and Latinx neighborhoods facing higher risks due to under-reimbursement by PBMs. These closures have created pharmacy deserts affecting over 91 million people nationwide.
The Federal Trade Commission also reported that PBMs engage in spread pricing and rebate retention practices which inflate drug costs by favoring higher-priced medications and underpaying unaffiliated pharmacies. According to the FTC report, these actions generated nearly $1.6 billion in excess revenue for PBM-affiliated pharmacies on two cancer drugs alone while contributing to independent pharmacy closures across the country.
"President Trump was right to call out PBMs — the hidden middlemen driving up drug prices while local pharmacies shut their doors," said Austin. "More than 7,800 pharmacies have closed since 2018, leaving hundreds of communities without access to medicine. Every day Congress delays PBM reform, patients pay more and small pharmacies disappear. PBM reform means lower drug prices, real competition, and accountability — exactly what Americans expect and what President Trump demanded."
