Lawmaker wants pharmacists to be able to disclose price of a drug

DATE: April 25, 2018

Published by WILX 10

LANSING, Mich. (AP) – A Michigan lawmaker wants to give pharmacists the right to disclose the actual price they paid for a drug.

Republican state Rep. Mary Whiteford of Casco Township introduced the drug transparency bill in the state House Tuesday.

An analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures shows similar bills in at least 35 other states. Laws already are in place in at least 13 states.

Some pharmacies are currently stifled from divulging information on medication affordability due to so-called gag clauses put in place by pharmaceutical benefit managers.

The middleman commercial groups say they negotiate optimal drug costs between the original manufacturer and the consumer. They have recently been criticized by insurers and consumers for boxing patients into paying more under their insurance plan than they would have out-of-pocket.