Report: North Dakota pharmacy ownership bill defeated

NORTH DAKOTA — A House bill that would have paved the path for chain and big-box pharmacy retailers to set up shop in North Dakota was rejected on Tuesday, according to a local news report.

Under the current law, pharmacies must be majority-owned by a licensed pharmacist, but House Bill 1434 would have eliminated that portion of the law, the Bismarck Tribune reported. The bill was defeated 71-23.

Those in favor of the bill said the state should open up the market to competition.

However, those against the bill argued that the state's pharmacies offered better service and cheaper prices, and the U.S. Supreme Court already has upheld the law itself, the article stated.