Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued an executive order aimed at providing transparency about prescription drug prices for Floridians.
DeSantis’ office said the order will ensure reforms are in place to hold pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) accountable when managing prescription drug benefits for insurance companies.
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“Florida continues to lead the nation in ensuring accountability in the health care industry and in introducing reforms to combat rising prescriptions costs,” DeSantis said. “This executive order requires accountability and transparency for pharmaceutical middlemen when doing business with the state, thereby reducing the upward pressure on prescription drug costs.”
READ: Executive order increasing transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical industrial complex
The executive order directs all executive agencies to include provisions in all future contracts with PBMs that include:
- Prohibiting spread pricing for all PBMs
- Prohibiting reimbursement clawbacks for all PBMs
- Directing agencies to include data transparency and reporting requirements, including a review of all rebates, payments, and relationships between pharmacies, insurers and manufacturers
- Directing all impacted agencies to amend all contracts to the extent feasible with these same provisions
Florida has taken prior action to lower the costs of prescription drugs for residents. As of Friday, according to DeSantis’ office, the state’s Canadian Prescription Drug Importation program has been under review by the Food and Drug Administration for nearly 600 days, and DeSantis announced that the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration filed a Freedom of Information Act request to gain insight into the status of the proposal to lower drug costs.