Pharmacy White Coats Fill Iowa State Capitol as PBM Reform Advances

• By: IPA
• On: 02/06/2025 14:49:23
• In: Advocacy
• Comments: 0

The Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA) hosted nearly two hundred pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Des Moines, Iowa, on February 5 to advocate for PBM reform and pharmacy priorities at the Iowa State Capitol. This year's Pharmacy Day on the Hill was noteworthy, as the day featured two subcommittee meetings and a successful PBM reform press conference in addition to its regular programming.

Iowa pharmacists Wes Pilkington, PharmD (Evans Crossing Pharmacy), Cory Garvin, PharmD (Wester Drug), Charlie Hartig, PharmD, JD (Hartig Drug), Kelly Kent, PharmD, BCPS (Towncrest Pharmacy), and Scott Knoer, MS, PharmD, FASHP (MercyOne) provided powerful testimony in front of House and Senate subcommittees, sharing their personal stories of pharmacy closures, patient impact, and financial pressures. Identical PBM reform bills (HSB 99 / SSB 1074) passed out of subcommittee and move on to consideration by the full committees in both House and Senate chambers.

IPA CEO Kate Gainer, PharmD, and Iowa pharmacists Wes Pilkington, PharmD (IPA President-Elect), and Randy McDonough, PharmD, MS, BCGP, BCPS, FAPhA (APhA President-Elect) spoke during the afternoon's press conference, sharing recent poll data demonstrating resounding support for PBM reform among Iowans. 80% of Iowa voters agree it is important that the state legislature take action against PBMs, and 70% say PBM reform should be ‘must-pass legislation' in 2025. The press conference and day's events garnered the attention of many news outlets across the state.
 
Pharmacy Day on the Hill also featured IPA's 2025 Legislative Awards presentation:

The 2025 Champion Advocate Award was presented to Charlie Hartig, PharmD, JD, of Dubuque, Iowa, a powerful advocate for pharmacy in Iowa over the past three legislative sessions. Charlie Hartig is the Chief Executive Officer of Hartig Drug, a group of family-owned and operated pharmacies in the Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois tri-state region. Hartig graduated with honors from Drake University (PharmD) and Saint Louis University (JD).

The 2025 Good Governance Award was presented to Representative Matt Windschitl, from Missouri Valley, Iowa, representing District 15. Rep. Windschitl has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2007 and was elected by his caucus to serve as House Majority Leader in 2019. Rep. Windschitl is a steadfast supporter of pharmacy and healthcare issues and a true pharmacy champion in the statehouse.