Pharmacies are closing at a pace our communities cannot afford. In 2024, according to NYC Center for an Urban Future, 10% of all New York City pharmacies shut down. Behind these closures is a quiet but devastating force: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These powerful middlemen dictate what pharmacies are paid for prescriptions, and too often, they set reimbursement rates so low that pharmacies lose money with every prescription they fill.

Sometimes it’s $100 or more lost on a single medication. No business model can survive under these conditions. As a result, patients are paying the price. Pharmacies forced to operate at a loss eventually close. Families in underserved areas are left without nearby care. What emerges are pharmacy deserts. Pharmacy deserts are not just problems for rura

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