I am a family nurse practitioner practicing in a Rural Health Clinic in Zearing, IA and have served this community for 25 years. Our clinic provides care from birth to death in a region that is twenty miles from the next clinic and pharmacy. We believe in access to high quality care, no matter where you might live. We struggled mightily to provide this care without an accessible pharmacy for many years.

In 2012, a local pharmacy approached us with their innovative telepharmacy approach. We have partnered with them for years now to provide quality care and affordable medications to our communities.

However, Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) are making that more and more difficult. PBM reform is essential to providing care. Hard working Iowa families need help in obtaining their medications at affordable pricing. Forcing everyone to big box stores and mail order for medications hurts rural Iowa families.

Without our local pharmacy, our patients have to travel to obtain their medications. Further, our local pharmacy has a personal relationship with our patients, making their medication counseling more meaningful and personalized, and reducing medication errors. Finally, our partnership allows us to provide a team of professionals to address our patients’ needs.

I urge the Iowa Senate to support the PBM reform legislation to preserve and strengthen high quality health care for rural Iowans. I can share countless stories about how much our local pharmacy has impacted our patients. Please join me in asking your State Senator to support PBM reform!