Across the country, state legislators are finally saying what many of us in healthcare have known all along: traditional, vertically integrated PBMs hold too much power, lack accountability, and operate with deeply rooted self-interest.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Arkansas, as Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently signed a landmark law that prohibits PBMs from owning or operating pharmacies in her state. Arkansas is the first state to enact this type of legislation, and it signals the start of a new era for the pharmacy benefit space.
The reasoning is simple. When PBMs steer patients to pharmacies they own, it creates a financial conflict that raises costs, limits access, and compromises care. Arkansas lawmakers took a stand, but they are not alone. Thirty-nine attorney generals across the country have also urged Congress to adopt similar restrictions at the federal level.
While other PBMs are rushing to defend or restructure their business models, Drexi doesn’t need to make adjustments. We were built differently from the beginning.
We don’t own pharmacies. We don’t steer patients. We don’t profit from our pharmacy partners. And we never have.
What’s Happening in Arkansas and Why It Matters
The legislation in Arkansas, known as HB 1150, bans PBM ownership of retail, mail order, and specialty pharmacies in the state. It comes in response to widespread concern that this anticompetitive practice is shutting out independently owned pharmacies which limits patient choice and potentially drives up cost.
Major PBMs, including CVS and Evernorth, pushed back. They warn of pharmacy closures, care disruption, and higher costs from loss of efficiency. But Arkansas lawmakers remained focused on what matters most, ensuring that patients can access affordable care options without being unfairly influenced by corporate revenue interests.
The tide is finally turning, and it is moving toward true transparency, competition, and patient choice.
Drexi is not just prepared for this moment. We were made for it.
Drexi’s Model is Simple
Drexi’s model is simple. We do not own or financially affiliate with any pharmacy. We do not steer patients and prescriptions, because Drexi does not rely on revenue hidden in fine print. Our focus is on affordable access and real transparency for the patients, employers, members, and brokers we serve.
Arkansas said it best when describing the risks of PBM-owned networks: inflated costs, rural access roadblocks, and overutilization. This perfectly describes the very system Drexi set out to destroy. Our solution aligns with Arkansas’s vision because we were built on the right principles from the start.
What Brokers Should Be Asking Right Now
Brokers and benefit consultants need to take a hard look at the PBMs they recommend to clients, and ask these important questions:
If the answers are unclear, the risks are real.
With Drexi, the answers are simple. We are transparent, independent, and focused on doing right by your clients and their members.
Drexi: The PBM That Refuses to Play Games
We are unapologetically reshaping the future of pharmacy benefits. Drexi is not merely refining the traditional model, we are replacing it.
What makes Drexi different:
Drexi is the PBM solution under AMPS, a healthcare cost savings company that believes doing the right thing should be the norm, not the exception. Together, we are delivering smarter, simpler, and ethical pharmacy benefits to those who need it most.
If your clients are ready for a solution that does not just comply, but leads, Drexi is ready to deliver.
Let’s talk.
Drexi is the pharmacy benefit management solution from AMPS, a diversified healthcare technology company supporting transparent, affordable medical and prescription benefits through proprietary SaaS products and tech-enabled services. AMPS serves self-insured employers, health plans, TPAs, and market aggregators across the United States. Learn more at www.amps.com.
