NACDS praises new Indiana law as vital for patient access and pharmacy viability

The National Association of Chain Drugs Stores praised enactment of Senate Bill 241 in Indiana, noting that it has made great strides to help protect the viability of pharmacies in neighborhoods across the state.

The legislation will help ensure that pharmacies are more fairly and properly reimbursed by requiring payers’ pharmacy contracts to have clearly defined drug pricing and reimbursement methodologies and audit practices, NACDS said.

This new law, signed by Governor Eric Holcomb, also prevents payers from retroactively denying pharmacies’ claims for prescriptions that were dispensed, and allows pharmacies to contest changes in their reimbursement. The legislation also requires the maintenance of adequate pharmacy networks and provides beneficiaries with equal access to all network pharmacies.

“Work on this important bill has been underway since well before COVID-19, yet the pandemic shows just how critical it is to maintain pharmacy viability. Pharmacies and pharmacists are on the front lines of healthcare in neighborhoods throughout Indiana and across the country. Access to pharmacies is critical as the COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented stresses on our healthcare system across the nation,” said NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson. “This newly enacted law will help patients throughout Indiana continue to receive care from the pharmacy of their choice – which is important at all times and certainly during an emergency.”

NACDS recognized the legislative leadership of the bill’s primary sponsor, State Sen. Liz Brown; the House sponsor, State Rep. Matt Lehman; author and chair of the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee, State Sen. Ed Charbonneau; chair of the House Insurance Committee, State Rep. Martin Carbaugh; and the distinguished Conference Committee Conferees and Advisors, including two pharmacist legislators: co-author State Sen. Ron Grooms and co-sponsor State Representative Steven Davisson. NACDS also acknowledged the leadership of the Indiana Pharmacists Association and NACDS member companies.