Congress Must Pass Pharmacy Reform to Put Patients First

NAMI Southwest Missouri executive director thanks Sen. Hawley for supporting legislation to reform pharmacy benefit managers.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Stephanie Robinson, the executive director of NAMI Southwest Missouri, is urging Congress to pass legislation reforming pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in order to lower drug prices and improve access to local pharmacies for patients. She thanks Sen. Josh Hawley for his bipartisan efforts to advance PBM reform, which would require PBMs to share the discounts they negotiate with insurers directly with patients.

Why it matters

PBMs have been found to artificially inflate drug prices to increase their own profits, while often requiring patients to use mail-order pharmacies with poor service. PBM reform has bipartisan support in Congress as a way to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility for patients.

The details

Investigations have found that PBMs, which are owned by health insurers, do not pass along the discounts they negotiate with drug manufacturers to patients. Instead, they pocket the difference between the list price and what they actually paid. PBMs also often require patients to use mail-order pharmacies or reimburse local pharmacies so little that they can't stay in business.

  • The bipartisan Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Price Transparency and Accountability Act is currently being considered in Congress.

The players

Stephanie Robinson

The executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southwest Missouri.

Sen. Josh Hawley

A U.S. Senator who is working to advance legislation that reforms pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to serve patients better and save them money at the pharmacy counter.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Hawley is responding to these urgent needs when he supports PBM reform, and I applaud him for it. PBM reform is one of the few issues that has strong bipartisan support and was nearly passed last year.”

— Stephanie Robinson, Executive Director, NAMI Southwest Missouri (sgfcitizen.org)

What’s next

The bipartisan Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Price Transparency and Accountability Act is currently being considered in Congress, and its passage would be an important step in reforming PBMs to put patients first.

The takeaway

PBM reform has broad bipartisan support in Congress as a way to lower drug prices, improve access to local pharmacies, and make healthcare more affordable and accessible for patients. Passing this legislation would be a significant victory for patients over the profit-driven practices of pharmacy benefit managers.