Dr. Abdul El-Sayed Announces “Ban the Middleman” Act to Lower Prescription Drug Costs
MICHIGAN – Today, U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed announces the “Ban the Middleman Act,” a new policy proposal to tackle the biggest drivers of high prescription drug costs: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). The “Ban the Middleman” Act would eliminate the PBM industry and replace it with a transparent and patient centered system to lower costs on the prescriptions that Americans rely on.
Pharmacy Benefit Managers don’t manufacture prescription drugs. They don’t dispense prescription drugs. They just extract profit from patients. Every single reform attempt has taught them a new way to game the system. Abdul understands that the only solution is elimination, not regulation.
“For too long PBMs have inserted themselves between patients and the medications they need to survive, operating behind the scenes in an already complicated system to drive up costs,” said Abdul. “I’ve seen patients ration, skip treatment, and suffer needlessly because our profit-driven system stands in their way. We can and do have control over the American healthcare system and we can finally make it work for patients and caregivers.”
A 2025 FTC report found that markups on generic drugs generated over $7.3 billion in excess revenue between 2017 and 2022. The three largest PBMs reported significant revenues all while patient and employer payments for drugs continued to increase, the report also found.
The “Ban the Middleman” Act includes seven key reforms, the full policy paper can be read here.
- Eliminate PBMs and Their Profit-Driven Model
- Guarantee Access to Affordable Generics
- Expand Federal Drug Price Negotiation
- Create a Public, Nonprofit Pharmacy Benefit Administrator
- Put Medical Experts in Charge of Drug Decisions
- Protect Pharmacies and Expand Patient Choice
- Support Pharmacies Harmed by PBM Practices
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