AUGUSTA – A compromise hammered out Wednesday by Democrats on the Health and Human Services Committee drastically limits the scope of legislation intended to provide consumers with information about the costs of prescription drugs.
State Rep. Elaine Makas presented a bill to the committee Tuesday that would have required pharmacies with more than four locations in the state to post the cash price of the 20 top selling drugs in the state and update the list monthly.
The committee heeded arguments from the pharmacies that the bill would create an undue financial burden on businesses and would provide consumers with outdated or misleading information.
The new legislation, which passed the committee with a divided vote, eliminates the mandate that pharmacies post the price list and instead requires that pharmacies give the price for prescription drugs to any customer who calls.
It would also require that pharmacies post a statement that customers have the right to know the price of drugs in advance.
Finally, the compromise legislation would force the state to create a list of all the pharmacies and their phone numbers and post it on a government Web site.
“It seems like it’s at least one small step in the right direction,” Makas, D-Lewiston, said. “I feel like we made some progress. At least people are aware of how much difference there can be in prices between pharmacies.”
During testimony before the committee Tuesday and Wednesday, representatives of chain and independent pharmacists warned that the price lists would be outdated soon after being posted.
State Rep. Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, and House chair for the committee, offered the amendment that reworked the bill. She said that the original bill brought up a good issue, but there were too many uncertainties about the burden that would be placed on pharmacies and significant concern that consumers would be given bad information.
While admitting that she was disappointed and didn’t understand concerns that it would cost too much to comply, Makas said she was optimistic that some good had come of her efforts.
“If nothing else, maybe some people know that there are large discrepancies in the price of the same drug at pharmacies that might be across the street from one another. … We’re talking about a savings of $30, $40, $50 for one month’s supply of a single drug. That’s a major difference. I want people to know they might be able to save money by asking the price of their drugs.”
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