PATH Brings Together Pharmacies and Pharmacists, Employers, Policymakers, and Other Healthcare Stakeholders to Chart a Healthier, More Sustainable Path for Pharmacy Care

MONTVALE, N.J., Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EmpiRx Health, the leading pharmacist-led pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company, today announced that it is launching Pharmacy Allies Transforming Healthcare (PATH), a new, national coalition established to help protect and empower community pharmacies and pharmacists. PATH brings together pharmacies and pharmacists, employers who sponsor benefits plans, policymakers, and other healthcare stakeholders with a shared commitment to building a more affordable and sustainable healthcare system in America.

Community pharmacies are the backbone of our nation's healthcare system. However, independent community pharmacies are closing their doors at an alarming rate, limiting care options for communities across America. According to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), more than 5,800 pharmacies have closed since 2018. As a result, an estimated 45% of US counties are now considered to be pharmacy deserts, with rural communities being the hardest hit.

Through PATH, EmpiRx Health is working to ignite a national movement that seeks to highlight the importance of trusted, affordable community pharmacies and pharmacists while advocating for PBM reform and other legislation that help protect their critical role in America's healthcare.

"As a pharmacy care company that was founded on the revolutionary idea of putting pharmacists at the center of the PBM service model, EmpiRx Health passionately believes in pharmacies and pharmacists," said Danny Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer of EmpiRx Health. "That's why we're launching PATH. It's time to put the power back in the hands of our community pharmacists and chart a healthier, more affordable path for healthcare in America."

The new PATH coalition is focusing on three key areas:

• Advocacy – A primary focus of PATH's mission will be to advocate for PBM reform legislation that's designed to preserve community pharmacies and bring more transparency, fairness, and innovation to the PBM industry. PATH will also support measures that extend healthcare provider status to pharmacists, enabling them to practice at the top of their license and expand their vital clinical services.
• Education – The PATH coalition will seek to educate key policy makers, regulators and other healthcare decision makers about the critical role of pharmacies and pharmacists. Education is a major part of preserving, protecting, and empowering community pharmacies.
• Activation – PATH will also work to activate the various coalition members and their networks to work collaboratively on solving critical issues like skyrocketing drug costs and advancing PBM reform.

"There's a reason why pharmacists are among the most trusted healthcare professionals," Sanchez continued. "They offer American families expert, affordable, and uniquely accessible healthcare advice, plus a growing menu of clinical services. We created the PATH coalition because pharmacies are increasingly being squeezed to the point where they have no choice but to shut their doors. It's imperative that we act now to preserve community pharmacies before their decline becomes irreversible."

Healthcare Leaders Comment on the Launch of the PATH Coalition

"The importance of community pharmacies to healthcare in America has never been more vital, which is why we welcome the support from the new PATH coalition. Yet, the unfortunate irony is the viability of community pharmacies is endangered due to mega-PBM business practices that benefit their bottom line to the detriment of patients. As a result, one out of every 8 neighborhoods in the United States is in a pharmacy desert. Congress must take action and pass the bipartisan, bicameral PBM reform legislation that is poised to pass." – B. Douglas Hoey, Pharmacist, MBA, CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association.

"One cannot overestimate the importance of community pharmacies to the healthcare system. Patients visit their local pharmacy approximately 35 times per year, which compares to just four annual visits to their primary care provider. I commend EmpiRx Health for launching PATH in support of community pharmacies and pharmacists at this critical moment in America's healthcare." – Jim Tsipakis R.Ph., former President, Supermarkets & Pharmacy, Giant Eagle

"Community pharmacies are essential to our members especially when members are workers who are caregivers and require trusted healthcare services when they need it and as quickly as they need it. Pharmacists who serve our members within these community pharmacies are critical in the education, management, consultation, and accuracy of the essential healthcare services they provide. We applaud EmpiRx Health for joining with other healthcare stakeholders to launch PATH, whose very timely mission is to advocate for legislative reform and other measures that support community pharmacies." – Silvana Stankus, Executive Director at New England Health Care Employees Welfare and Pension Funds, SEIU 1199

"Community pharmacies play a vital role in the health and well-being of our UFCW National Health and Welfare Fund participants and their families. They're often the most trusted and accessible point of care in the communities we serve.  Supporting these pharmacies and ensuring fair PBM reform is critical not only for our members, but for the stability and integrity of the broader healthcare system. Access, affordability, and trust are at the heart of what we stand for, and community pharmacies are essential to that mission." – Glenn Di Biasi, Fund Administrator, UFCW National Health and Welfare Fund

"EmpiRx Health's PATH initiative is educating the American people on the value pharmacy provides as the key solution to improving patient care and reducing skyrocketing Healthcare costs. PATH showcases the value of clinical driven services and positive outcomes provided by the knowledge and education of pharmacists." – Duane Jones, BS Pharm, Regional Pharmacy Supervisor and Clinical Program Director, Harps Food Stores, Inc., and Residency Site Coordinator, UAMS College of Pharmacy 

About PATH
Pharmacy Allies Transforming Healthcare (PATH) is a newly formed coalition whose aim is to empower community pharmacies to chart a better path for healthcare in America. PATH brings together pharmacies, employers who sponsor health benefits plans, policymakers, and other healthcare stakeholders to advocate for the essential role pharmacy care plays in ensuring the health and well-being of patients and communities. PATH was founded by EmpiRx Health, the leading pharmacist-led PBM company. Through PATH, EmpiRx Health is helping to build a national movement around advancing PBM reform legislation to improve patient health outcomes, lower the costs of care, and elevate the critical role of community pharmacies and their pharmacists. For more information, visit www.abetterpath.co.

About EmpiRx Health
EmpiRx Health is the leading clinically-driven, customer-first pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company that puts the pharmacist at the center of the pharmacy care model. Leveraging our AI-powered pharmacy care platform, Clinically™, EmpiRx Health's clinical pharmacists and client experience teams provide the highest quality care and service. This enables plan sponsors to measurably improve their member health outcomes while substantially reducing prescription drug costs. EmpiRx Health recently launched AllyRx, the first-ever national pharmacy care network specially designed for pharmacy and grocery retailers. With major offices in Montvale, NJ and Orlando, FL, EmpiRx Health celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2024. To learn more, visit www.empirxhealth.com. More information on Clinically can be found at www.clinically.co, and AllyRx at www.allyrx.co.

Contact:
For EmpiRx Health:
Stephanie Cox
Phone: (201) 775-6971
Email: SCox@empirxhealth.com

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SOURCE EmpiRx Health