As a pharmacist born and raised in Cleveland, I know firsthand what pharmacies mean to our communities across Ohio — from small towns to city neighborhoods. We’re more than places to pick up a prescription; we’re often the most accessible health care providers people have.
That’s why I want to be clear when I say pharmacies aren’t asking for a handout — we’re asking to be paid enough to cover the basic cost of doing our jobs.
Ohio House Bill 96 includes a pharmacy reimbursement provision that would require health plans and pharmacy benefit managers to reimburse all Ohio pharmacies at no less than the actual cost to dispense prescriptions. I believe this is a necessary step, and it’s long overdue.
Right now, pharmacies across Ohio are getting paid less than it costs to buy the medication and safely fill a prescription. We’re losing resources on the very thing we’re here to do—provide patients with access to medication.
And as a result, pharmacies are closing.
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In 2024, 215 pharmacies closed in Ohio. Already this year, 35 more are gone. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a direct result of payments lower than a pharmacy’s costs and broken reimbursement practices.
Pharmacies are often the most accessible part of the health care system. We don’t require appointments. We’re open evenings and weekends. When a pharmacy closes in a small town or underserved neighborhood, patients lose essential access to care.
There’s a common misconception that paying pharmacies more will lead to higher health care costs or increased insurance premiums. But the data simply doesn’t back that up. States that have implemented similar reimbursement models — like West Virginia — have not seen premiums rise as a result.
In fact, Ohio’s own Medicaid program switched to a cost-based model and has saved the state over $140 million.
At-cost reimbursement for pharmacies gives pharmacies a fighting chance. Without it, more pharmacies will close — and Ohioans will be left with fewer options, longer drives and real barriers to getting the medications and support they rely on every day.
Tallie Pederson is an Ohio-area pharmacy manager for Walgreens.
This commentary was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and republished here with permission.
This article appears in Jun 11-24, 2025.