The Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) celebrates the General Assembly’s passage of HB1697, the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, a landmark achievement in the fight to protect patients, enhance transparency, and preserve access to pharmacy care across Illinois.
This legislation was a central focus of governor JB Pritzker’s 2025 State of the State address, where he emphasized the need to confront harmful pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices that have driven up drug costs, jeopardized local pharmacies, and strained patient access to care. HB1697 now delivers on that call to action with sweeping, enforceable reforms.
“I am thrilled that this legislation will finally reverse the alarming trend of pharmacy closures across our great state,” IPhA president Dave Bagot said. “HB1697 represents not just a policy victory, but a commitment to preserving access to essential health care services in communities throughout Illinois.”
IPhA extends its sincere gratitude to senator David Koehler and representative Natalie Manley for championing this legislation. Their leadership has resulted in one of the most significant PBM reform packages in the country, built on transparency, accountability, and patient-centered care.
HB1697 directly targets systemic failures in the prescription drug marketplace. The law eliminates spread pricing that has diverted millions away from patient care, ends PBM steering practices that restrict pharmacy choice, and mandates 100 percent rebate passthrough to ensure savings are returned to patients and health plans. It also institutes robust regulatory oversight through required annual transparency reports, plan audits, and market conduct examinations.
The bill also provides vital financial relief to the state’s most vulnerable pharmacies. HB1697 allocates $45 million annually to sustain critical access pharmacies and invests an additional $25 million to enhance pharmacy access. These provisions are designed to stop the ongoing wave of pharmacy closures and restore access in both rural and urban areas.
HB1697 would not have been possible without the relentless advocacy of pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and patients across the state. As the legislation now heads to Governor Pritzker for signature, IPhA remains focused on supporting its full implementation and defending its critical protections.
—Illinois Pharmacists Association