In a momentous win, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed S.B. 252, the Community Pharmacy Relief Act, into law yesterday. The law ties commercial reimbursement for independent pharmacies to the state’s Medicaid reimbursement methodology, which uses a state-based average acquisition cost benchmark plus a professional dispensing fee of $10.64. The bill has strong enforcement provisions for the Department of Insurance, prohibits spread pricing, curtails patient steering, and addresses the role of PBM affiliates and third parties, such as discount cards.
S.B. 252 was the result of combining two bills, one introduced by Alabama Pharmacy Association and the other by the Alabama Independent Pharmacy Alliance. It is also an amazing comeback story after a hard-fought battle last year that came up short. NCPA salutes all stakeholders for their passion, dedication, and resilience!
