Kentucky passes bill aimed to protect patients, community pharmacies from PBM audit practices

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Legislation that requires transparency in the pharmacy audit processes conducted by pharmacy benefit managers is being enacted in Kentucky.

H.B. 349, which was signed by Kentucky state governor Steve Beshear last week and sponsored by Senate majority whip Tommy Thompson (D-Ky.), is designed to prohibit PBMs from seeking to recoup payments through pharmacy audits when there is no evidence of fraud.

The signing of the legislation was praised by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.

"We thank Governor Steve Beshear for signing this important pro-patient, pro-pharmacy legislation to curb tactics used by some PBMs that take away from the important business of improving patient health and making healthcare delivery more efficient and cost-effective," NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson said. "We thank Rep. Thompson, the Kentucky Retail Federation and the Kentucky Pharmacists Association for their leadership in helping to ensure transparency in the PBM audit process."

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