BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Independent pharmacists and prescription drug companies are calling for a legislative review of new Medicaid rules they say could limit patient access to medicine and put some drug stores out of business.
The Department of Health and Hospitals is planning to balance its budget in part through pharmacy program changes.
The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/T1k9yv ) that officials with the Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America want lawmakers to intervene.
PhRMA contends the latest rules establish a bias toward insurance companies over patients and their physicians by omitting patient protections.
Dr. Rodney Wise, state Medicaid program medical director, disagrees.
He also says DHH is still meeting with providers to talk about the rules, though he didn't say whether the department will make any changes.
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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
