New Issue Brief Spotlights How States Are Pooling Purchasing Power to Cut Prescription Drug Costs
State Futures and ArrayRx outline how states are pooling purchasing power to negotiate real savings for residents and state budgets
Washington, DC — September 24 – As the midterm elections approach, healthcare affordability remains a top concern of voters. A March 2026 KFF poll found that over half of Americans are worried about being able to afford prescription drugs for themselves and their families, and 72% think the government should do more to regulate prescription drug costs.
States are again proving that there's power in numbers: through ArrayRx, a consortium of 8 participating states, pooled purchasing power drove nearly half a billion dollars in savings in 2025 alone.
Today, in partnership with ArrayRx, State Futures released a new Issue Brief documenting how the combined power of states can drive down costs for individuals and state budgets. ArrayRx is an interstate consortium governed by public officials that pools the purchasing volume – and leverage – of state agencies, local governments, Medicaid programs, and other entities.
“This work has quietly been happening in the background for years, without much fanfare — but the results speak for themselves,” said Gaby Goldstein, President of State Futures. “At a time when the federal government's approach to healthcare and drug pricing is myopic and unpredictable, states are showing that cooperation, not gridlock, is what actually brings costs down for families and taxpayers alike.”
ArrayRx offers states a variety of services and in 2025 alone, drove nearly $500 million in savings:
Prescription Discount Card: available to all residents of participating states; saved $19.7 million.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) services: passed through approximately $326 million in manufacturer rebates to participating states, and delivered over $15 million in additional savings by eliminating spread pricing.
Continuity of Care Prescription Drug Voucher Program: saved the Washington Department of Corrections and the Oregon State Hospital a combined $800,000 across 5,305 prescriptions for patients transitioning to the community from institutional settings like correctional institutions, state hospitals and jails.
Workers’ Compensation Pharmacy Services: Ohio's and Oregon's workers' compensation programs, which offer prescription drug coverage under workers' compensation insurance policies, saved a combined $54 million.
Medicaid Pharmacy Programs: ArrayRx offers both fee-for-service Medicaid and managed Medicaid programs, including clinical management, formulary design, and rebate administration. One Oregon Managed Medicaid program alone saved $84.2 million.
Journalists covering prescription drug and healthcare affordability are encouraged to read the brief and reach out for interviews. State Futures can connect press with ArrayRx and state policymakers actively pursuing these strategies.
Read the full issue brief: Lowering Prescription Drug Costs: ArrayRx, A State-Led Pharmacy Collaborative
About State Futures
State Futures is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit that supports a network of 850+ values-aligned state policymakers, including legislators and State Financial Officers. We support bold, values-aligned state leaders by convening them, equipping them with tools and resources, and empowering collective action to achieve impact beyond any single state.
About ArrayRx
ArrayRx, formerly Northwest Prescription Drug Consortium, delivers transparent and value-based pharmacy solutions that address the unique needs of government entities. It is their mission to provide high-value pharmacy solutions overseen and administered by states’ public sector purchasers of prescription drugs where transparency and stewardship of tax dollars is the highest priority.
Media Contact:
Kristen Wilder, Communications
info@statefutures.org
www.statefutures.org
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