The Puerto Rico Community Pharmacies Association (AFCPR) warned on Thursday, October 22, that higher electricity costs could lead to reduced hours, limits on clinical services and even pharmacy closures in Puerto Rico. It asked the Energy Bureau not to authorize another rate increase. AFCPR board chair Isaías Serrano said in written statements that community pharmacies cannot pass the increase on to patients, because medication prices are already negotiated by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and, for the government, the Plan Vital health plan.
He said these businesses depend on prescription drug sales for more than 80 percent of their revenue, which limits their ability to absorb higher operating costs. The group cited the adjustment of 5.28 cents per kilowatt hour in fuel and purchased-power charges, in effect from October 1 to December 31, 2026. By AFCPR’s figures, it amounts to a 17.1 percent increase for small and medium businesses and up to 19.7% for large industrial customers.
Serrano said pharmacies have particular electricity needs: continuous refrigeration of medications such as insulin and vaccines, dispensing systems, electronic records and billing to health plans, plus equipment for immunizations, testing and chronic-condition management, and generators and fuel to operate during outages. He urged the Energy Bureau director not to approve another increase to cover the inefficiencies of the companies contracted for fuel production and generation.
AFCPR had raised its concerns in a February 5 letter to Energy Bureau chair Edison Avilés. About 850 community pharmacies operate in Puerto Rico, according to the association.