Patient Access to Pharmacy Act (PAPA)

The Patient Access to Pharmacy Act (PAPA) is legislation aimed at protecting patient access to community pharmacies across New York by reforming how Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) reimburse pharmacies. The bill would establish a fairer and more transparent “cost-plus” reimbursement model to stop PBMs from paying pharmacies below the cost of acquiring and dispensing medications, helping independent and neighborhood pharmacies remain open and continue serving patients. PAPA has earned overwhelming bipartisan support in the New York State Assembly, with 112 Assembly Member sponsors backing the bill, yet despite this strong support, it still has not been called to the Assembly floor for a vote. With pharmacies continuing to close across the state and the legislative session running out of time, supporters are confused as to why the bill still sits stagnant in the Assembly. Lawmakers must act now before more patients lose access to their local pharmacy care.