(Radio Iowa) – Business groups are urging Governor Kim Reynolds to veto a bill that would set new rules for pharmacy benefit managers that work with insurance companies to set prescription drug prices — and Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner says she’s surprised the legislation actually cleared the House and Senate. “It did seem like there should have been a solution that would make everybody happy,” Weiner said, “and it was one of these unusual times when a whole variety of different actors were working together to try and make that happen.”

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Fourteen Democrats in the Iowa Senate, including Weiner, voted against the bill. It would establish a dispensing fee of over 10 dollars that must be paid to small pharmacies for each prescription filled. And P-B-Ms could no longer require that patients get their prescriptions from online pharmacies. Business groups say the bill adds massive costs to employers and patients. Weiner wouldn’t be surprised if the governor vetoes the bill. “There was a ‘Goldilocks spot,'” Weiner said. “…In my view, they could have had a win for everyone that would have protected the smaller, independent pharmacies, that would not have raised costs too much in terms of insurance costs and I think unfortunately they somewhat missed that mark.”

Weiner made her comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S. If the governor does veto the plan, Weiner expects legislators will tackle the issue again in 2026. “It’s definitely important for Iowans that we continue to have the smaller pharmacies, the pharmacies that serve rural areas, the independent pharmacies that complement the larger chains in the urban areas and it’s a challenge,” she said.

Over 200 Iowa pharmacies have closed in the past decade and pharmacists say more will close if the bill isn’t signed into law. Bill backers say P-B-Ms are manipulating a system they built, raising costs for patients while making independent pharmacies fill prescriptions at a loss.