It’s no secret that pharmacy errors are occurring all too often across this nation. Pharmacists are being encouraged to fill as many prescriptions as possible (causing them to rush), and that patients hardly ever have consultations with pharmacists. In order to keep patients safe and minimize medication errors and costs, many states have been reviewing their laws in this area.
After a little over one year of negotiations, Oregon adopted a new pharmacy bill that is intended to benefit patients and small businesses alike. Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber signed House Bill 2133 into law recently, which is a comprehensive piece of legislation designed to protect patients and benefit community pharmacies.
This bill will provide patients with the following benefits:
- Patients should have more time with pharmacists to ask questions.
- Pharmacy benefit managers are required to register with the Insurance Division of Oregon for more oversight, which should help patients get needed prescriptions in a timely fashion and at a reasonable price.
- Drug prescription services should be more efficient.
This bill will benefit retail pharmacies, especially the more than 150 independent community pharmacies, in Oregon in the following ways:
- Restrict flagrant pharmacy audit practices that are done for profit-seeking expeditions.
- Health plans are required to update their reimbursement rates more frequently in order for pharmacies to see the actual drug acquisition costs, which can dramatically change.
- Provide pharmacists with more time to devote to patients.
This reform is intended to increase transparency into generic prescription drug reimbursement, ensure reasonable standards are applied to how pharmacy benefit managers audit community pharmacies, and give pharmacists more time to devote to their patients.
The legislation was collaborated on by state legislators, representatives of the pharmacy benefit managers community, Oregon pharmacists, Oregon Pharmacy Coalition, representatives of the Oregon Pharmacy Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and the National Community Pharmacists Association.
The pharmacy error attorneys of Kennedy Hodges hope that this bill will, in fact, provide pharmacists with more time to consult with patients and reduce prescription errors. Unfortunately, pharmacy errors still occur daily in our nation. If you have been injured by a negligent pharmacist, you have rights. Call us at 888-526-7616 for a free consultation. When you call, ask how you can receive a free copy of our report, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for Your Injuries Caused by Medication Errors.