This week, Gov. Charlie Baker (R) released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget request which includes a proposal for a 15 percent tax on opioid manufacturers on gross receipts from the sale of opioid products. This tax income would be used to pay for the $48 million proposed increase for treatment and other services. The total amount budgeted for these services will be $266 million. In addition, the Governor’s budget contains a provision which would give MassHealth the ability to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers over price and use a public rate-setting process for the high-cost prescription drugs similar to how rates for other Medicaid services are set.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signed into law HB 4742 (formerly HB 4866), requiring that on or after Wednesday, January 1, 2020, prescriptions for Schedule II through VI controlled substances must be issued via an electronic prescription from the prescriber to a pharmacy. The law also creates a statewide standing order for the dispensing of naloxone and permits pharmacists to bill the insurer for the person requesting an opioid antagonist dispensed through the standing order. Additionally, pharmacists are not required to determine the identity of the ultimate user and the customer may pay cash for the prescription, if they prefer.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

In a meeting this week, the MassHealth (Medicaid) announced that it will not be pursuing a proposed $1.00 reduction in the Medicaid fee-for-service professional dispensing fee. The fee will remain $10.02.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.