Bipartisan push targets CVS-owned PBMs as Tennessee moves to ban pharmacy-chain ownership
A Tennessee couple split by party lines joins a growing bipartisan effort to curb CVS Health's integrated PBM and pharmacy model as the state advances a bill banning such ownership.
The Josephs, a married couple from northeastern Tennessee with opposing party affiliations, share a common grievance against CVS Health’s integrated PBM and pharmacy operations, which they say raise prescription prices and limit pharmacy choice. Their story mirrors a widening bipartisan campaign to separate PBM functions from retail pharmacy ownership, now before the Tennessee legislature. Republicans such as Sen. Bobby Harshbarger, whose mother Rep. Diana Harshbarger has introduced similar federal legislation, and Democrats like Rep. Antonio Parkinson support the ban, citing protection for small pharmacies and lower drug costs.
Industry voices, including CVS spokesperson Phil Blando and PCMA’s Greg Lopes, argue the reforms could reduce overall value and increase costs. CVS has launched a $7 million TV campaign and text outreach warning that the ban could force closure of its 134 state pharmacies. The legislation is slated to become effective in 2028, pending legal challenges similar to those faced in Arkansas and Louisiana.
Why it matters
It shows how drug-pricing concerns can unite opposing parties and could reshape pharmacy markets nationwide.
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