Bipartisan Win: Co-Chair Rep. Marra Champions Drug Task Force Bill Across Finish Line

State Representative Tracy Marra (R-141) applauded her colleagues for overwhelmingly supporting House Bill 7192 which implements recommendations from the Bipartisan Prescription Drug Task Force, including provisions to assist with pricing and to increase supply chain access.

“This bill is the first step to increasing transparency in our completely opaque prescription drug pricing and is a step in the right direction to lower future prices of medications,” Rep. Marra, a trained pharmacist and co-chair of the Task Force said. “I want to thank my co-chairs for investing so much time and effort to make sure this important legislation had such broad bipartisan support. It was the final bill to pass in the Senate and it is a big win.”

The Task Force was made up of a bipartisan group of legislators that listened to testimony and talked directly with patients and advocates, pharmacists, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry.

The final legislation of this bill mandates that Prescription Benefits Managers (PBMs) owe a duty of good faith and fair dealing to health carriers and health benefit plan sponsors.  It requires PBM’s to offer health plans the option of charging the same price for prescription drugs as it pays the pharmacy for dispensing the drug.  This reduces the risk of spread pricing in which the PBM would get a higher reimbursement than the pharmacy.  It also requires the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) amend its Strategic Supply Chain Initiative to include prescription drug shortage prevention. In addition, it develops a mechanism to begin the state importation of FDA approved medications from Canadian wholesalers.

“When we support pharmacies, we’re supporting the communities they serve, and a pharmacist’s reach goes well beyond basic over-the-counter and prescription medications and includes important consultations on health care,” Rep. Marra said.  “The bottom line is that health care needs to be accessible to be effective, and pharmacies and pharmacists are the most accessible health care we have. It’s important we support them.”

HB 7192 – An Act Implementing Recommendations of the Bipartisan Drug Task Force passed 142-5.

You can read more about the legislation at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2025&bill_num=7192