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HR 1204 111th Congress House

Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2009

Official title: To ensure and foster continued patient safety and quality of care by making the antitrust laws apply to negotiations between groups of independent pharmacies a… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To ensure and foster continued patient safety and quality of care by making the antitrust laws apply to negotiations between groups of independent pharmacies and health plans and health insurance issuers (including health plans under parts C and D of the Medicare Program) in the same manner as such laws apply to protected activities under the National Labor Relations Act.

Introduced: February 25, 2009 See on congress.gov
Commerce Competition and antitrustGovernment studies and investigationsHealth care costs and insuranceHealth facilities and institutions
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Prescription drugsRetail and wholesale trades
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 23, 2009
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.
Feb 25, 2009
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Feb 25, 2009
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 23, 2009

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2009 - Entitles independent pharmacies negotiating contract terms with a health plan for the provision of health care items or services to the same treatment under the antitrust laws as the treatment to which bargaining units recognized under the National Labor Relations Act are entitled. Treats such a pharmacy as an employee engaged in concerted activities in connection with such negotiations.

Exempts actions taken in good faith reliance on this Act from being subject to criminal sanctions or civil penalties beyond actual damages incurred.

Provides that this Act does not exempt from application of antitrust laws any agreement or unlawful conspiracy that: (1) would have the effect of boycotting any independent pharmacy; (2) would exclude, limit the participation or reimbursement of, or otherwise limit the scope of services to be provided by any independent pharmacy or group of independent pharmacies with respect to the performance of services that are within their scope of practice as defined or permitted by relevant law or regulation; (3) allocates a market among competitors; (4) unlawfully ties the sale or purchase of one product or service to the sale or purchase of another product or service; or (5) monopolizes or attempts to monopolize a market.

Requires the Comptroller General to study the impact of this Act after five years.

Provides that this Act does not preclude the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) from overseeing the conduct of independent pharmacies covered under this Act.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1204: Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1204/
MLA
"H.R. 1204: Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1204/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1204, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1204/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1204: Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1204/)
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