Staten Island Reporter

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has teamed up with Staten Island pharmacist Robert Annicharico to advocate for reforms targeting Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) at the U.S. Capitol. This initiative is part of a broader bipartisan and bicameral effort to address practices that allegedly inflate prescription drug prices.

Malliotakis expressed concerns over PBMs, stating, "When it comes to PBMs, there’s little to no transparency on their pricing practices, and they’re raking in a lot of money by dictating what their competitors are able to make." She emphasized the impact on small pharmacies and consumers, noting, "Because of this, ‘Mom & Pop’ pharmacies across America, including in my district, are being crushed, and the costs are being passed down to consumers."

The Congresswoman highlighted recent legislative efforts: "We've passed bipartisan legislation out of the Ways and Means Committee to end these predatory practices, increase transparency and lower prescription drug costs." She urged Congress to act swiftly in order "to protect our local pharmacies and support patients who are struggling to afford their life-saving medications."

Annicharico shared his perspective as an independent pharmacist: "As a pharmacist in an independent practice, I observe directly how patients and PBMs interact," he said. He described significant challenges posed by PBMs: "The first is higher out-of-pocket costs for the medicines my patients need. The second is unfair and unfathomable reimbursement rates for the services and medicines my community pharmacy provides." Annicharico warned that these issues threaten both his pharmacy's viability and patient health.

Malliotakis is actively involved in legislative measures aimed at reforming PBM operations. She is an original cosponsor of H.R.2880, known as the Protecting Patients Against PBM Abuses Act. Additionally, she introduced H.R. 4881—the Protecting Patients from Middlemen Act—which successfully passed through the Ways and Means Committee as part of the Health Care Price Transparency Act of 2023.