Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday that he would push legislators to pass a bill that will give customers in Florida more options when purchasing prescription medications and more information about their pricing.
Prescription benefit managers, the middlemen between health plans and customers, would be subject to further regulation under the proposal. DeSantis said that the aim is to reduce the price of prescription drugs.
The plan, among other things, would prohibit prescription benefit managers from requiring patients to utilize mail-order services for prescription medications.
“What we’re going to say is, ‘You’re free to use the mail-in pharmacy that they’re telling you to use, but you do not have to use that,” DeSantis said. “You have the ability to make your own decision if it’s best for you.'”
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According to DeSantis, prescription benefit administrators must provide additional information when registering with the state, such as any pharmacies they are associated with and any other businesses under their corporate umbrella.
Additionally, the idea would mandate that pharmaceutical companies publish an annual report defending price hikes.
The state legislature’s annual 60-day session gets underway in March.
