<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3mzBr4_1DjCYyb000" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3mzBr4_1DjCYyb000" width="900" height="506" ></figure>LOUISIANA, La. (KLFY) — A new Louisiana law aimed at changing how pharmacies are reimbursed for prescription drugs is raising questions among patients about whether it could affect what they pay at the pharmacy counter.Act 913 changes how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) reimburse pharmacies for filling prescriptions. According to the Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association (LIPA), the law requires PBMs to reimburse pharmacies for the actual cost of acquiring a prescription drug, along with an $11.81 professional dispensing fee intended to cover the cost of filling the prescription.LIPA President Randal Johnson said the law is designed to create a more transparent reimbursement process.“The new law that was passed by the legislature, that’s Act 913 that people are focused on, that the pharmacy should be paid to reimburse them,” Johnson said. “What our legislature did was say we’ve already gone and said that our pharmacy should be paid to cover their cost of acquiring and dispensing the drug. So let’s go to a more transparent means, and we can find the national average drug acquisition cost. That’s what that pharmacy is going to be reimbursed. That’s the cost of acquiring the drug and putting it on the shelf. That’s no markup.”Johnson said the $11.81 dispensing fee is based on studies examining the average cost of operating a community pharmacy.“Our nation has done a survey. Our state has done a survey. Different states have done surveys, and we identified what’s the cost that it takes to have a brick building,” Johnson said. “You have the insurance and the lights on to have the doors open, to have the phones working, to have the computer contact your insurance company. You have your employees that you’re paying, professionals to have that brown bottle, to put the label on it, to be able to measure it out. Once the cost of filling that prescription our state identified, that is $11.81 per prescription.”Supporters of the law say the reimbursement changes are intended to help independent pharmacies remain financially sustainable, giving patients continued access to locally owned pharmacies.The law also prohibits PBMs from passing the additional reimbursement costs directly to patients through increased copays or other fees, according to pharmacy advocates.“You can see what the big PBMs, as the middlemen who don’t touch the drug, want to do is steer you to a pharmacy that they’re affiliated with or steer you to a chain drugstore that may be buying their drugs cheaper,” Johnson said. “This legislation passed, and in the legislation, it prohibited the middleman, the PBM, from passing on any costs that they had to the patient or to the pharmacy.”Johnson said there has been confusion surrounding the law, particularly after some health plans suggested patients could see higher costs when using independent pharmacies. He encourages patients to ask questions and understand the full cost of their prescriptions rather than focusing on a single fee.Pharmacy advocates say they hope the new law will increase transparency in prescription pricing while helping preserve patient access to independent pharmacies across Louisiana.</div></body>

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LOUISIANA, La. (KLFY) — A new Louisiana law aimed at changing how pharmacies are reimbursed for prescription drugs is raising questions among patients about whether it could affect what they pay at the pharmacy counter. Act 913 changes how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) reimburse pharmacies for filling prescriptions. According...

New law changes costs for local pharmacy prescriptions

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