An Alabama pharmacist and pharmacy owner said they weren’t allowed to attend an “unofficial” legislative study group in Montgomery on Thursday created to develop pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) legislation for the 2025 legislative session.
Trent McLemore, a Huntsville resident and director of pharmacy at Star Discount Pharmacy, told 1819 News he was initially allowed into the meeting at the State House but was asked to leave by a staffer of House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) because he wasn’t on the invite list.
“It was kind of sketchy to me. I’m not trying to get a pitchfork or start yelling or throw paint on somebody. I just wanted to listen and I wasn’t afforded that opportunity. I guess people that know better than me about my profession were there for me,” McLemore said. “I don’t think that they have like nefarious intentions, but I was not represented in that room. Whatever they were discussing directly affects me, my co-workers and our profession. I don’t see why I would not be allowed in that room for that reason.”
McLemore said lobbyists for two pharmacy associations attended the meeting, but he still felt he should’ve been allowed to attend.
“I just wanted to watch and listen. I guess I was not allowed to do so. I don’t understand it. I was just told that if you’re not on the list, you’re not invited and you can’t be there. They needed to know who was in the room. Why that is, I don’t know. It was just kind of suspect to me. They’d have been better off just letting me stay. Now, if they say they have nothing to hide, why did they kick me out? I’m encouraged that there is at least interest in this subject for the legislators. It was discouraging that I couldn’t at least listen. I’m not demanding to be a figurehead here. I just wanted to hear what was being said because it affects me. The lobbyists will have their jobs no matter what but this is my profession and my future. It’s pretty discouraging. I don’t know why it had to be a closed forum if there was nothing to hide,” McLemore said.
Charles Murry, a spokesman for Ledbetter, told 1819 News, “The Speaker's Office and members of the legislature often hold informal meetings with industry experts to discuss ongoing challenges in the state of Alabama.”
“Today's meeting was among public and private stakeholders, including insurance providers, pharmacists, regulatory entities, and others involved in delivering medication to patients,” he added.
The topic of PBM reform briefly came up last legislative session. House Bill 238 (HB238) by State Rep. Phillip Rigsby (R-Huntsville) would’ve added reporting and practice restrictions to how PBMs operate. The legislation also would’ve added a dispensing fee to prescriptions filled in the state.
Opponents said the bill would lead to higher costs for health plans and their consumers, which supporters denied. The bill never received a vote in the House after it was passed out of a committee.
Rigsby, a pharmacist and a study group member, told 1819 News, “I think the conversation is moving forward.”
“We were tasked to discuss the issue and potentially come up with some solutions to help pharmacies in Alabama, and I think after our first meeting, which was kind of an introductory meeting, today we did discuss a few things moving in the right direction. There’s nothing definitive now. Right now, it’s just discussion. I think the people at the table are the right people to be there, and we’ll see where it goes going forward, but I think it’s been good so far,” Rigsby said. “Most of the people were the people involved last session. Those that were for it, those that were against it. They were the ones that came to the table at the end of the session last time. I think the Speaker’s Office made the invitations for the group and that’s where the discussion has moved. I think it’s been good discussion.”
He continued, “My hope as a pharmacist is that we can find a solution. As a legislator, I’ve got to work to find a solution.”
“That’s what I hope this committee is able to do is to work hard to find solutions for pharmacies and for pharmacists in Alabama and for patients. It’s going to become an access issue if this keeps going in the direction that we’re heading. When and if it does, we’re going to have a bigger issue when patients don’t have access to a local pharmacy,” Rigsby said.
Craig Moore, co-owner of Valley Pharmacy and DME of East Alabama, also said he tried to attend the study group meeting on Thursday but was denied.
“The study group is an unofficial study group. It wasn’t put together through legislative action. That’s how they basically justified keeping us out of the meeting,” Moore said. “Our argument at the Governor’s office when we went over there and talked was, ‘We’re the biggest stakeholder in the meeting.’If we don’t get relief, then you’re going to see all the independent pharmacies close in Alabama and a lot of the chains that are not affiliated with the PBMs.’ The Walgreens is not affiliated with a PBM. Rite Aid is not affiliated with a PBM. Some of the grocery store chains are not. If it’s an unofficial meeting, it doesn’t smell right to me that the biggest stakeholder or the biggest loser can’t come to the meeting, and everybody else gets to decide our fate, and we don’t get a say in it.”
A spokesperson for Gov. Kay Ivey didn’t return a request for comment.
According to the Alabama Pharmacy Association, the legislators in the study group include Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro), Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro), State Sen. Wes Kitchens (R-Arab), and State Sen. Josh Carnley (R-Ino), Rigsby, State Rep. Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn), State Rep. Neil Rafferty (D-Birmingham) and State Rep. Tim Wadsworth (R-Arley).
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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