Our push for PBM reform this session has halted. The incredible speed and short duration of the session coupled with the problems with the reviser’s office has forced us to regroup and focus on 2026.

While we put together a wide coalition in writing the outline for the bill, we have gained lots of new friends and partners over the last few months that we will also bring into the fold. This is not the news I wanted to share with everyone, but I am very proud of the work and effort that everybody on this team put forward. This bill is a very BIG deal, both in terms of its impact on the pharmacy and healthcare industries, and in public policy terms. It would have been extremely rare that something this big and controversial gets through in one year, we are very prepared to make a successful push in 2026.

• SB284, Enacting the defense of drug delivery act to prohibit manufacturer interference relating to 340B drug distribution, was read on to the Kansas Senate floor Monday afternoon. It is led by the Kansas Hospital Association and Sen. Michael Murphy (R-Sylvia, Dist. 34) requested its introduction. It was referred to the Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance on Tuesday. This bill faces similar obstacles as our PBM bill (no speaker support, problems with reviser, shortened timeframe, etc.) and KPhA is watching it closely.

• SB29 is scheduled for a hearing in House Health on Friday, March 7, at 1:30 p.m. This is a public health bill that restricts county boards of health or local health officers’ ability to prohibit gatherings to control spreading infections.

• HB2244, which modifies the composition of the Board of Pharmacy and prohibits them from adopting telepharmacy rules or regulations, is still on hold until 2026. We will continue to try and be involved in this discussion.

There are several other bills that we are/were watching but none made it very far after introduction.

-- Jared Holroyd, KPhA Executive Director