Advocating for Arkansans:

New Law Will Disrupt Care and Close Pharmacies

Evernorth Health Services is proud to serve Arkansas and remains committed to helping Arkansans manage their medications and health. That’s why we are deeply concerned about a new state law that could force the closure of pharmacies throughout the state and impact many others. As a result, we want to inform Arkansans about what is happening – and critically, what is at risk.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill (Act 624) into law during the spring of 2025 that could result in dozens of pharmacies no longer being able to serve Arkansas patients. If this misguided law goes into effect as planned on January 1, 2026, Evernorth’s family of pharmacies, including Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, Express Scripts Pharmacy, and Freedom Fertility, will be prohibited from providing medications and related clinical services to Arkansans – increasing costs and making it harder for the more than 50,000 Arkansans who depend on us to get the care they need.

What this means for patients starting January 1, 2026

This untested law will leave Arkansans with higher prices and scrambling to find a new way to get their medications and related clinical care. Many patients may no longer be able to receive home delivery of prescriptions. Others will lose access to in-home services like infusions.

If Arkansas policymakers do not take action to stop this law before January, pharmacy and medication access could be significantly impacted, including access to:

Medicines and clinical care services for complex, chronic, and rare conditions through Accredo Specialty Pharmacy

Last year, Accredo shipped nearly 70,000 specialty prescriptions and Accredo’s specially trained nurses provided over 3,000 hours of in-home care to Arkansans. Act 624 would ban this. If you or your loved ones need specialty care, you could be affected.
Some Accredo patients critically need medicines that they cannot get anywhere else. More than 20 different medicines, including some oncology drugs for patients suffering from cancer, are only available through Accredo.

Convenient home delivery of medicines through Express Scripts Pharmacy

In 2024, Arkansans had more than 700,000 prescriptions delivered by mail from Express Scripts Pharmacy. Act 624 would ban this. If you or your loved ones receive medicine through the mail, you could be affected.
In addition to losing home delivery options, some retail pharmacies will be forced to close their doors – leaving even fewer options for patients.
- This will be especially challenging for the more than 40% of Arkansans that live in rural areas that already have limited retail pharmacy options.

Fertility medicines through our affiliated fertility pharmacies

Many other retail, mail, and specialty pharmacies may also no longer be able to operate in Arkansas

The Truth about PBMs and Affiliated Pharmacies

Act 624 creates significant prescription drug access restrictions by prohibiting pharmacies affiliated with a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), such as Evernorth’s Express Scripts, from dispensing medicines within the state. Many Arkansas policymakers supported Act 624 because they mistakenly believe PBMs and PBM-affiliated pharmacies contribute to the high prices of prescription drugs – and that is patently false. PBMs LOWER costs. Here’s the truth:

Truth: PBMs shield patients from high pharma-set drug prices

Express Scripts exists to lower the cost of prescription drugs – full stop.
- In 2024, Express Scripts’ patients with employer-sponsored drug coverage paid an average of $15.02 out-of-pocket for a 30-day prescription.¹
- Over the past five years, the year-over-year change in Express Scripts patient cost-sharing has remained flat despite inflation increasing tenfold over the same period.
PBMs like Express Scripts save payers and patients an average of $1,154 per person per year.
Pharmaceutical companies alone set drug prices. For years we have publicly supported and welcomed them to lower these prices.

Truth: PBMs do not “steer” patients to any pharmacy

Plan sponsors – not PBMs – determine which pharmacies are included in their plan’s network and determine copay structures for members.
Express Scripts does not "steer" patients, and plan sponsors (e.g., employers, labor unions, government agencies, and health plans) are not required to use our pharmacies. Rather, plan sponsors choose to use our pharmacies because they reduce costs while improving health outcomes.
- Use of Express Scripts Pharmacy can reduce costs and increase convenience for patients taking maintenance medications, as well as support increased adherence (i.e., taking medication as prescribed).
- In 2024, Accredo Specialty Pharmacy saved plan sponsors $60 million in drug spending and targeted strategies helped increase adherence rates to at or over 80% – improving outcomes and reducing unnecessary treatment escalations.²

Truth: Patient access to PBM-affiliated pharmacies does not harm independent pharmacies

Since 2019, the number of independent pharmacies in our Arkansas network has grown 33%. And, independent pharmacies make up 42% of our Arkansas network overall.³
Despite claims that PBMs are “steering” patients to home delivery, the volume of prescriptions filled by mail decreased 2.2% in 2024 while use of retail pharmacies continues to grow.
Arkansas independent pharmacies are protected by state law. In the past decade, Arkansas has enacted over a dozen PBM restrictions, regulating nearly every facet of PBM operations in the state, including several designed to ensure Arkansas independent pharmacies thrive.
Learn more about pharmacy networks, including how we’re fostering independent pharmacy growth.

Truth: We want to continue serving Arkansans

Express Scripts Sues to Preserve Access to Care for Arkansans

On May 29, 2025, Express Scripts and its affiliated pharmacies filed a lawsuit in federal court in Arkansas requesting that the courts strike down Arkansas Act 624 because it violates the U.S. Constitution and is unenforceable.

Read the press release

Learn more

Make Your Voice Heard: Help Stop Act 624

If you are concerned about how Act 624 could impact you and your loved ones, visit www.MyPharmacyMatters.com to urge your elected officials to stop Act 624 before it’s too late.

Sources

Express Scripts internal data, 2024.
Accredo Specialty Pharmacy internal data, 2024.
Express Scripts internal data, 2024.

Advocating for Arkansans:

New Law Will Disrupt Care and Close Pharmacies

What this means for patients starting January 1, 2026

The Truth about PBMs and Affiliated Pharmacies

Express Scripts Sues to Preserve Access to Care for Arkansans

Press Release

Express Scripts’ Legal Complaint

Sources