At a meeting on December 7, the Ohio Pharmacists Association announced plans to introduce legislation to reform practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that drive up the price paid by patients for prescription medications.
Utilizing a practice called “clawbacks,” some PBMs keep the difference when the cost of a prescription medication is less than the co-pay charged to the patient from their insurer. In addition, contracts between pharmacies and PBMs sometimes contain pharmacist gag orders that prohibit pharmacists from telling the patient about such practices.
Legislation, to be introduced in the near future, would address these standard PBM practices as a means to lower consumer prescription costs.
Watch the Weekly Family Medicine Update for future developments.