WASHINGTON, July 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) has filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging two North Dakota laws that threaten patient safety and will increase prescription drug costs for the state’s employers, consumers, and Medicare enrollees.

The legislation being challenged – SB 2258 and SB 2301 – will increase drug costs and risk patient safety by restricting health plans’ ability to reward drugstores that are willing to meet performance metrics that increase generic dispensing, improve adherence, and reduce inappropriate drug use. 

“These laws would increase prescription drug costs for consumers and the employers and unions that provide health benefits,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt. 

PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs administer prescription drug plans for more than 266 million Americans who have health insurance from a variety of sponsors including: commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, union plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), state government employee plans, Medicaid plans, and others.