Professions and occupations; pharmacies; Pharmacy Audit Integrity Act; emergency.
By enforcing stricter guidelines on how audits must be conducted, HB 2677 is expected to foster a more transparent relationship between pharmacies and PBMs. It limits the time within which audits can be performed and provides pharmacies with the opportunity to adequately prepare and respond to audit findings. The establishment of uniform practices aims to prevent unfair penalties on pharmacies, which can lead to financial strain or operational challenges due to unclear or arbitrary audit standards. Overall, the bill is positioned to offer more protections and accountability within pharmacy operations and audit procedures.
House Bill 2677, titled the Pharmacy Audit Integrity Act, aims to regulate and enhance the integrity of pharmacy audits conducted by pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) in Oklahoma. This bill modifies existing regulations to establish clearer audit processes and standards. The changes include requiring written notice for audits, limiting the number of prescriptions that can be audited, and stipulating the timeframe for final audit findings. The legislation's intent is to protect pharmacies from excessive and potentially unjust audit practices, ensuring that they can contest findings reasonably.
The sentiment surrounding HB 2677 appears to be generally positive among pharmacy professionals and advocates. Supporters of the bill emphasize its importance in ensuring fair treatment of pharmacies by PBMs, which have been criticized for conducting audits that can be burdensome and obscure. Critics of past audit practices argue that they lead to unnecessary recoupments impacting the viability of pharmacies, especially independent ones. However, discussions also highlight concerns that while the bill improves some aspects of pharmacy operations, vigilance will be required to ensure that it is effectively enforced.
Some points of contention include the bill's provisions on the types of discrepancies that can be addressed during audits and how findings of clerical errors are handled. There is concern that the regulations may still allow for interpretations that could benefit PBMs at the expense of pharmacies. Additionally, while the bill aims to standardize practices, questions remain regarding the enforcement mechanisms and whether they will be sufficient to deter potential malpractices by PBMs. Thus, while the bill represents progress, stakeholders are calling for continuous evaluation to safeguard against emerging challenges.