Save My Pharmacy Coalition Launches to Defend Access and Lower Drug Costs in Minority, Rural, and Veteran Communities
For too long, Big Pharma has been writing the rules — and ordinary people have been paying the price. From rural crossroads towns to urban minority neighborhoods to veteran communities, we’ve seen the same story play out: drug manufacturers pushing laws and policies that benefit their bottom line, not our health.
One of their newest tactics? Forcing closures of certain pharmacies — especially those owned or affiliated with Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These are the very companies that often negotiate lower drug prices and offer affordable access to care. When Big Pharma-backed legislation drives them out, the result is predictable: fewer pharmacy choices and higher prescription costs for everyone.
The Reality on the Ground
Across the country:
Pharmacy closures are accelerating, with over 2,200 locations gone in 2024 alone — an average of eight every single day.
Minority neighborhoods are disproportionately affected, with Black and Latino communities seeing pharmacy closure rates up to 35% higher than other areas.
Rural Americans are being pushed into “pharmacy deserts,” where a trip to get heart medicine can mean a 40-mile drive.
Veterans relying on stable mail-order and retail pharmacy options through VA or TRICARE are losing access to the benefits they’ve earned.
These aren’t abstract statistics — they’re life-and-death realities. When a pharmacy closes, people miss doses, delay treatment, and face tougher choices between filling a prescription or paying another bill.
How POLITICIANS’ Big Pharma “Handouts” Hurt Us
Big Pharma’s lobbying machine has spent millions selling the idea that eliminating PBM-owned pharmacies will somehow lower prices. That’s a lie.
What these laws actually do is remove the one part of the system actively pushing back on drug manufacturers’ sky-high pricing. Without PBMs leveraging their bargaining power, Big Pharma can set prices without competition or oversight.
That means:
Higher list prices on brand-name drugs (already up more than 15% annually since 2023).
Fewer negotiated discounts on prescription plans.
And a “take it or leave it” reality for patients, especially in areas already underserved.
We’re Saying “Enough”
Save My Pharmacy exists because we are done watching vulnerable communities lose access to affordable medicine while Big Pharma’s profits soar.
We’re here to…
Defend every pharmacy that keeps care accessible — whether independent, chain, or PBM-operated.
Protect affordability, making sure drug prices don’t spiral even further out of reach.
Hold lawmakers accountable when they side with corporate lobbying over community needs.
Your Voice Matters
We are building a nationwide coalition of advocates ready to fight for common-sense policies. Together, we can stop Big Pharma from shrinking our pharmacy options and driving up drug costs.
Because healthcare access shouldn’t depend on your zip code, the color of your skin, or the profit motives of a billion-dollar company.
About Save My Pharmacy
Save My Pharmacy (SMP) is a national coalition of community advocates united to protect access to affordable prescription drugs and essential pharmacy services. We advocate for policies that preserve a robust network of pharmacies—independent, retail, chain, and PBM-operated—serving minority communities, rural areas, and veterans. In the face of Big Pharma–backed legislation that threatens to shut down pharmacies and raise drug costs, SMP works to ensure every American has nearby, affordable, and reliable access to the medications and care they need.
