Oregon-initiated pharmacy collaborative grows, increasing prescription savings

Oct. 24, 2025

Arizona latest state to join public partnership that reduces medication costs

SALEM, Ore. --- People in Oregon may find it easier to obtain affordable prescription drugs now that another state has joined a public pharmacy collaborative that Oregon co-founded.

Arizona recently announced it is joining ArrayRx, a multi-state collaborative that helps participating states reduce prescription medication costs and was established in 2006 by Oregon and Washington. A total of six states now participate, with the other members being Connecticut, Nevada and Ohio. ArrayRx’s ability to negotiate lower prescription prices grows with each state that joins the collaborative.

“Oregon is proud to be a founding partner in ArrayRx and welcomes Arizona to this collaboration,” said OHA Health Policy and Analytics Director Clare Pierce-Wrobel. “As people in Oregon struggle to afford their prescription drugs, Oregon’s partnership with other states allows us to make medications available at more affordable prices, ultimately delivering more value to the people of Oregon than if we were doing this alone.”

OHA manages the collaborative’s efforts in Oregon through the Oregon Prescription Drug Program. ArrayRx’s various pharmacy programs help over 860,000 access more affordable medications nationwide, with approximately 300,000 of those individuals living in Oregon.

“By collaborating with other states, Oregon is better equipped to break down barriers and create real savings,” said Oregon Prescription Drug Program Director Trevor Douglass. “We are determined to help everyone, regardless of their background or financial situation, access the medications they need to lead healthy lives.”

ArrayRx is perhaps best known for its discount drug program. People living in ArrayRx member states can enroll online to receive a free digital card that saves them up to 80% on generic drugs and at more than 65,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, about 600 of which are in Oregon. In 2020, Oregon Prescription Drug Program staff helped wildfire victims obtain discount cards so they could replace lost medications and reduce costs on an ongoing basis.

ArrayRx also offers pharmacy benefit management, or PBM, services. PBM organizations serve as intermediaries that negotiate drug purchases with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of health insurance providers and others. Pharmaceutical companies offer partial savings known as rebates when people purchase their preferred medications. While some organizations keep these funds, ArrayRx is a nonprofit organization that passes all savings onto its member states. In Oregon, ArrayRx negotiates drug purchases for insurance plans that cover some state, county and city employees and some labor unions, among others. Between 2023 and 2024, Oregon received more than $115 million from ArrayRx-facilitated rebates for prescriptions provided to people covered by participating insurance plans.

And to improve pharmacy access, ArrayRx and the Oregon Prescription Drug Program manage the Critical Access Pharmacy initiative. This effort helps keep pharmacies open in areas that are rural, have high rates of poverty, or are otherwise home to underserved communities. In exchange for being a designated critical access pharmacy and participating in the ArrayRx network, pharmacies receive a slightly higher fee for dispensing prescriptions. Today, there are 83 critical access pharmacies located throughout Oregon.