Speaker of the House Jason Wentworth today released the following statement after the Michigan Independent Pharmacy Association named state Rep. Julie Calley their legislator of the year after the passage of Pharmacy Benefit Manager reform:

“Congratulations to the hard-working state Rep. Julie Calley, who put in long hours of research and a year’s worth of negotiations to get healthcare reform signed into law. She worked this issue nonstop until a deal was reached, and she deserves all the credit in the world. Largely because of her efforts, prescription drug prices will fall all around the state at a time when almost every family is struggling to handle their monthly bills and relief is needed more than ever.

“We were fortunate to have the opportunity to team up with the Michigan Independent Pharmacy Association and find success with this important legislation. Their network of hometown pharmacies all across our state provided the experience and expertise that helped make this compromise possible. They know what it takes to serve their customers, and they worked day in and day out to make sure we knew it, too. When we needed pharmacy associations to step up, MIPA answered the call. They were an incredible partner in this effort from help with bill language to ushering this through, and I’m glad we are all able to celebrate this accomplishment together.”

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