HARRISBURG — Hundreds of pharmacies across Pennsylvania have gone out of business in recent years, data obtained by Spotlight PA show, and pharmacists say legislation passed last year to help isn’t doing enough to stave off more closures.

The problem, pharmacists and their advocates say, boils down to how much pharmacies are paid for their work and the medications they provide. The reimbursements offered through insurance plans frequently don't cover the costs of the drugs themselves or the related overhead expenses, such as paying for staff and keeping the lights on, according to multiple Pennsylvania pharmacists and pharmacy owners.

Several pharmacists told Spotlight PA that depending on reimbursement rates, pharmacies can bring on more customers and fill more prescriptions — and still end up losing money. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” said Eric Abramowitz, a pharmacist and co-owner of Eric’s RX Shoppe in Montgomery County.

Pharmacists and some lawmakers have blamed closures on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — middlemen in the drug pricing chain — although advocates for those businesses dispute it.