NASHVILLE, TN - Nearly two dozen pharmacists and store managers from CVS Pharmacy locations in Tennessee will visit the State Capitol today, calling on legislators to protect Tennessee patients by rejecting Senate Bill 2040. SB 2040 threatens health care access and affordability for more than 1.5 million Tennesseans served by CVS Health every year, including seniors and parents of young children battling cancer and rare diseases.

SB 2040 seeks to ban CVS Health from conducting pharmacy operations in Tennessee. If signed into law, it will force the closure of 134 CVS Pharmacy locations, two CVS Specialty pharmacies, and two Omnicare pharmacies serving 87 long-term care facilities in the state. For more than 35,000 CVS Specialty patients, including nearly 7,700 in Medicare and Medicaid, it will be uncertain whether any pharmacy in Tennessee has the infrastructure and expertise necessary to dispense their life-saving medications. More than 425 pharmacists in Tennessee who care for people across the state could lose their jobs.

Several CVS pharmacists from across Tennessee will be available for media interviews and photographs at the Capitol on Wednesday.

CVS Health statement on Senate Bill 2040:

“Senate Bill 2040 would devastate pharmacy care access and affordability in Tennessee. It endangers Tennesseans by eliminating access to 134 vital community pharmacies and the essential health and wellness products they provide. People with chronic, complex conditions will have fewer home delivery options and less access to high-touch, expert specialty pharmacies. Even our more than 25 MinuteClinic locations would close, meaning patients will have to find convenient access to acute care – for things like ear infections, strep throat, and flu – elsewhere, and more than 500 patients will need to find a new primary care provider. The bill will cost thousands of jobs for people who live and work in Tennessee. Supporting SB 2040 is supporting health care chaos for working families, seniors, and people with disabilities.”