Rep. Sykes Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Food Farmacies

October 29, 2026 Rep. Sykes Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Food Farmacies AKRON, OH — Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (OH-13) introduced the Food is Medicine Access Act to ensure that food farmacies, produce prescription programs, and medically-tailored meals are available to patients in need. Food is Medicine programs integrate nutritious food and nutrition support into health care to prevent or manage diet-related conditions and improve health outcomes. This bill helps ensure that Food is Medicine programs are not targeted under the Anti-Kickback Statute, allowing more providers to offer these services, while maintaining existing safeguards against fraud and abuse. “Food farmacies have been shown to make a positive impact in the lives of patients battling chronic illness. I’m proud to have led the legislation that established food farmacies in Ohio and to be leading bipartisan legislation to expand the program nationally,” said Rep. Sykes. “I’m introducing this bill to ensure more providers can offer food farmacies and produce prescriptions to their patients and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure every American can access healthy food.” This bill has been endorsed by the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, Cleveland Clinic, and Akron Children’s Hospital. “Foodbanks in Ohio and across the country work alongside hospital systems, primary care doctors, and other healthcare providers to provide access to foods that promote health and healing. This legislation will remove a critical barrier to working across sectors to improve the health of Americans,” said Zach Reat, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. “Healthy food plays an important role in preventing disease, managing chronic conditions and improving quality of life,” said Dr. Monica Yepes-Rios, M.D., medical director of Community Health and Food as Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. “Cleveland Clinic has partnered with community organizations and has invested in programs that connect patients with nutritious food and nutrition support. Expanding access to these types of resources through this legislation will help individuals in our communities live healthier lives and reach their health goals.” Earlier this year, Rep. Sykes introduced the bipartisan Food Farmacy Act, to expand access to nutritious foods and provide nutritional guidance. Food farmacies and similar programs often operate out of hospitals or health care providers, allowing patients to receive treatment and access nutrition education. Research has shown that food farmacies can be effective in improving patient understanding of nutrition and removing barriers to healthy eating, and in turn may have a significant impact on diet-related health outcomes. While serving in the Ohio State House of Representatives, Congresswoman Sykes secured state funding for the creation of a pilot program to establish food farmacies in Summit County, Ohio. The $1 million grant supported the creation of three food farmacies at Akron Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and Summa Health System with the support of Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. In 2024 alone, the Akron Children’s Hospital Food Farmacy provided more than 130,000 meals to more than 21,000 individuals. Print Email Share Tweet