Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association - LIPA

10/05/2026

At this year's annual NCPA Convention in Kansas City, LIPA board member TJ Woodard of Prescriptions to Geaux in Baton Rouge, La., was presented with the NCPA Independent Pharmacist of the Year Award! This award is given to a pharmacist who exhibits exemplary professional leadership, service to community, and commitment to independent pharmacy.

As the owner of both Prescriptions to Geaux pharmacy locations, TJ is actively involved in the pharmacy profession on many levels. Beyond managing his pharmacies alongside his wife, Aimee, TJ frequently is seen testifying before state legislative committees and serves on NCPA's Committee on State Legislation and Regulation. He is a fierce advocate for patients having access to their choice of pharmacy and has been instrumental in helping shape pharmacy laws and regulations in Louisiana.

LIPA is immensely proud of TJ for being announced this year's award recipient👏Thank you for all that you do, TJ!

09/01/2026

Thank you, Office of the Louisiana Attorney General and the Louisiana Department of Justice for taking action against Express Scripts and Ascent Health Services, for the unlawful practices that manipulate pharmacy reimbursement, restrict competition, and steer patients toward PBM-affiliated pharmacies👏

LIPA extends its sincerest gratitude to the Attorney General’s Office for its attentiveness to the challenges facing independent pharmacies and its commitment to protecting patients, pharmacy access, and a fair prescription drug marketplace.

The lawsuit seeks damages, civil penalties, attorneys’ fees, and an injunction to prevent unlawful conduct under federal and Louisiana law.

Read the full lawsuit here:

08/31/2026

🚨Breaking: Louisiana sues Express Scripts and Ascent over scheme to drive up drug costs, squeeze independent pharmacies, and limit patient choice.

02/21/2026

Thank you, AG Murrill, for protecting Louisiana patients and communities!

🚨Today I'm announcing the resolution of three separate lawsuits filed against CVS Health and its related pharmacy benefit manager subsidiary, resulting in a significant financial recovery for the State of Louisiana and its taxpayers.

These cases involved conduct directly impacting Louisiana citizens. Rather than prolonging litigation, which could have extended several years, we worked with CVS Health to reach a resolution that serves the best interests of Louisiana. The funds will be used to further ensure accountability in pharmaceutical pricing and PBM industry practices.
https://aglizmurrill.com/Article/430

02/04/2026

State Rep. Michael Echols continues to lead the charge against PBM abuses, fighting to ensure the reforms passed into law during last year's regular legislative session are enforced and pharmacies are reimbursed for the real cost of acquiring and dispensing medications to patients in their communities.

Independent pharmacies deserve fairness, not empty promises. Thank you Michael Echols for being a staunch advocate for Louisiana's independent pharmacies!

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02/03/2026

🚨PBM reform is headed to the President’s desk. After Senate passage last week, the U.S. House has now approved the package by a vote of 217-214.

The PBM provisions include delinking PBM compensation tied to drug utilization, directing CMS to establish reasonable Part D contract standards, and designating "essential retail pharmacies" in underserved areas. Thank you to our leaders in D.C. for getting these provisions across the finish line.

This is great progress, but there is still work to be done to rein in pharmacy middlemen and make prescription drugs more affordable for all Americans.

BREAKING: The House voted to end a partial government shutdown, funding the bulk of the federal agencies and providing 10 more days of funding for the Department of Homeland Security as Democrats make demands for reforms to immigration enforcement.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5720897-bipartisan-funding-package-approved/

01/23/2026

The statutorily created PBM Monitoring Advisory Council met yesterday in the Louisiana State Capitol where executives from both OptumRx and Caremark offered testimony. A lot of information was shared, but we wanted to highlight and clarify a few key points:

1) “Letting the consumer pick their services wherever they want will drive up healthcare costs.” is blatantaly false.

Patient choice lowers costs by preventing PBMs from steering care to their own pharmacies and protecting profit margins instead of patient care.

2) "Our negotiations and clinical tools deliver more than $2,000 per person on average drug savings."

If this was true would PBMs prefer higher-cost brand drugs over cheaper generics because brands generate larger rebates, even when patients pay more?

3) The Caremark executive admitted patients can still use an independent pharmacy, it just may cost them more.

That’s not choice. That’s financial coercion.

Independent community pharmacies are not asking for patients to be forced to their own stores, and they are not asking for massive profits. Our ask is consistent and simple: that patients have access to their choice of healthcare provider, whether that’s the pharmacy closest to home, closest to work, or where the pharmacist knows them by name. And that the pharmacy be paid to cover their cost of acquiring and dispensing the medication the patient relies on. That choice improves access, continuity of care, medication adherence, and outcomes. It does not inflate drug prices.

The real threat to affordability is not patient choice. It is a system where powerful PBMs continue to prioritize their own profits over Louisiana’s patients and providers. When PBMs warn that reform will make medications unaffordable, they are admitting that their business model depends on limiting choice and underpaying pharmacies.