State Rep. Kathy Rapp | Pennsylvania 65th Legislative District
State Rep. Kathy Rapp | Pennsylvania 65th Legislative District
HARRISBURG — Rep. Kathy L. Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest), Republican chair of the House Health Committee, announced that the committee unanimously approved a bill granting the Commonwealth increased oversight over Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). The measure aims to limit or ban several PBM practices that negatively impact independent pharmacies.
“Since the beginning of the year, more than 140 pharmacies have closed in Pennsylvania, with more likely to close if we do not act,” Rapp stated. “This legislation will help level the playing field for our independent pharmacies, giving Pennsylvanians more choices to fill their prescriptions.”
The committee also approved a measure to expand the number of prescription drugs eligible for donation through the Cancer Drug Repository Program and increase participation from patients and pharmacies.
“Nearly half the states in the U.S. allow people to donate to a drug repository program,” Rapp noted. “Allowing folks to do so in the Commonwealth will hopefully increase participation in this program by pharmacies, as only two pharmacies currently accept donated cancer drugs.”
Additionally, a bill providing state-level oversight of hospital price transparency and prohibiting certain collection actions was passed by the committee with a 20-4 vote.
“This bill is an example of both sides of the aisle coming together to try to address an important issue,” Rapp said. “Price transparency is important. It promotes healthy competition in health care, which will benefit patients.”
House Bill 1993, House Bill 2339, and House Bill 2363 now proceed to the full House for consideration. Alongside these bills, three resolutions were also passed by the committee.
House Resolution 464 designates July 2024 as "MECP2 Duplication Syndrome Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
House Resolution 471 recognizes June 2024 as "Scleroderma Awareness Month" and June 29, 2024, as "World Scleroderma Day" in Pennsylvania.
House Resolution 476 recognizes June 25, 2024, as "World Vitiligo Day" in Pennsylvania.
Representative Kathy Rapp
65th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jake Gillespie
717.772.9834
RepRapp.com / Facebook.com/RepRapp
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