§ 59-368 — Access to prescription drugs for low income Oklahomans.

Oklahoma § 59-368

• Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
• Title 59: Professions And Occupations

Text

A. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Oklahoma Prescription Drug Discount Program Act of 2005”. 2. Recognizing that many Oklahomans do not have health insurance coverage for prescription drugs, the Oklahoma Legislature hereby establishes provisions to increase access to prescription drugs for low income Oklahomans. B. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority shall contract with a pharmacy benefit manager for the administration of a prescription drug discount program. Oklahoma incorporated entities having a strong working relationship with Oklahoma’s pharmacies should be given preference when selecting the administrating entity to ensure Oklahoma pharmacy’s participation and to ensure the success of the program. The prescription drug discount program will: 1. Enable persons without prescription drug coverage to be linked to appropriate manufacturer-sponsored prescription drug programs via the use of computer software; 2. Establish agreements with prescription drug manufacturers that outline available discounts and drugs, and in which prescription drug manufacturers agree to allow the Oklahoma Health Care Authority contracted pharmacy benefit manager to be the means testing agent for their programs; 3. Negotiate prescription drug discounts with manufacturers and utilize Medicaid reimbursement for pharmacy networks and implement a “one-stop” Oklahoma Prescription Drug Discount program for uninsured Oklahomans and their families. All negotiated manufacturer drug discounts shall be provided as a one-hundred-percent pass-through discount to the plan participant. The plan administrator will be required to provide the Oklahoma Health Care Authority full disclosure and transparency of financial relationships with manufacturers for this program, and will include right-to-audit provisions in all contracts with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority; 4. Ensure that one hundred percent (100%) of the savings from prescription drug manufacturers and pharmacies is passed on to the consumer; 5. Enroll persons into a prescription drug discount card program using specialized computer software that will allow the consumer to have access via a single application process to all participating prescription drug manufacturer discount programs; 6. Include outreach and advertising of the program in order to provide access to the program to potential consumers who do not have access to prescription drug coverage; and 7. Charge a basic enrollment fee to cover the administrative costs of the program; provided, however, this provision shall not apply to an applicant whose income is less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Provided further, dispensing fees shall not exceed allowable Medicaid rates. C. Nothing in this act shall be construed to allow public disclosure of any proprietary pricing information as contained in contractual agreements between a pharmaceutical manufacturer and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, or a pharmacy benefit manager under contract with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to be the means testing agent for the program.

Legislative History

Added by Laws 2005, c. 419, § 1, eff. July 1, 2005.