Bill On Pharmacy Managers Pared Back By Senate

(Des Moines, IA) — The last bill to clear the legislature this year gives Iowa’s insurance commissioner authority to collect more data about companies called pharmacy benefit managers. Critics say P-B-Ms are driving small-town pharmacies out of business, while the industry says P-B-Ms are helping to control prescription drug costs. The Iowa House unanimously voted for a series of safeguards for pharmacies and consumers two months ago — and this week the Senate voted to scale some of that back. Republican Senator Mike Klimesh (KLEH-mish) of Spillville says the bulk of what’s left in the bill is a regulatory framework giving the insurance commissioner more latitude for rulemaking, to start to gather additional information.