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Pharmacists warn ArrayRx-style drug discount card could shift fees onto pharmacies; treasurer cites state savings and governance safeguards
Summary
At Ways & Means, committee considered amended H.577 to establish a Vermont prescription drug discount card. Pharmacists testified that ArrayRx/ArrayRx-like cards often collect per-transaction fees that reduce pharmacy margins; the state treasurer supported participation, citing other states' savings and governance and saying Vermont would not be charged a program fee.
The Ways & Means Committee turned to H.577, a bill to establish a Vermont prescription drug discount card program, and heard testimony from pharmacists and the state treasurer after the committee considered an amendment that removed a proposed special fund and explicit state fee-authority.
Jen Carvey of the Office of Legislative Counsel explained that the amendment keeps the program and the treasurer’s ability to cooperate with other states or consortia while striking language that would have authorized the treasurer to require participant fees or to create a stand-alone special fund. "This still creates the Vermont prescription drug discount card program," Carvey said, describing the markup and the decision to remove fee and special-fund language.
Local pharmacists and the Vermont Pharmacists Association expressed concern that the business model behind the discount…
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