Maine and Nevada Update Drug Price Transparency Laws

Maine and Nevada previously enacted laws requiring drug manufacturers to report information about the pricing of their products. (See our coverage here and here). As summarized below, each state has recently updated their reporting requirements.  Both states’ new requirements will become effective in October 2021 and should be considered as manufacturers prepare for state drug price transparency reporting in 2022.

Maine

LD 686 provides the Maine Health Data Organization with new authority to publish a list of the prescription drugs for which the manufacturer has: (A) increased the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) of a brand-name drug by more than 20% per pricing unit; (B) increased the WAC of a generic drug that costs at least $10 per pricing unit more than 20% per pricing unit; or (C) introduced a new drug with a WAC that exceeds the threshold for a specialty drug under the Medicare Part D Program (currently $670). This list will be posted on a publicly accessible website no later than January 30, 2022 and updated annually thereafter.

LD 686 also revises the process for disclosures by manufacturers, wholesale drug distributors and pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs). Previously, manufacturers, wholesale drug distributors and PBMs were required to provide “pricing component data” within 60 days of a request from the state. Now, the state will post a list of drug product families for which it intends to request pricing component data from manufacturers, wholesale drug distributors, and PBMs on a publicly available website on or before February 15th each year. No sooner than 30 days after the posting of the list, the state shall provide notice via email to manufacturers, wholesale drug distributors, and PBMs of its request for pricing component data. These entities will then have 60 days to provide the pricing component data to the state. “Drug product family” is defined as “a group of one or more prescription drugs that share a unique generic drug description and drug form.” In determining which drug product families are included on the list, the state intends to consider prescription drugs included on the public notice list described above, as well as the 25 costliest drugs, the 25 most frequently prescribed drugs, and the 25 drugs with the highest year-over-year cost increases.

The definition of “manufacturer” has also been updated to specify that a manufacturer is an entity that manufactures or repackages, and sets the WAC for, prescription drugs.

Finally, LD 686 updates the confidentiality provisions that apply to information disclosed to the state by manufacturers, wholesale drug distributors and PBMs. While information could previously be shared in the aggregate if it did not allow for the identification of an individual drug, the state may now share information in the aggregate “as long as it is not released in a manner that allows the determination of individual prescription drug pricing contract terms covering a manufacturer, wholesale drug distributor or [PBM].” In addition, the state may share information that is publicly available.

Nevada

Nevada’s reporting requirements have previously been primarily focused on drugs deemed to be essential for treating asthma and diabetes and included on an annual list published by the state (the “Essential Drug List”). SB 380 removes asthma from the Essential Drug List, and provides the state with authority to compile an additional new list of drugs for which manufacturers will need to report information. The latter list, which will be published at the same time as the Essential Diabetes Drug list, will consist of prescription drugs with a WAC exceeding $40 for a course of therapy that have been subject to an increase in WAC of 10% or greater during the immediately preceding calendar year or 20% or greater during the immediately preceding two calendar years (the “WAC Increase List”). A “course of therapy” is defined as the recommended daily dosage as set forth on the FDA-approved label for 30 days, or, if the normal course of treatment is less than 30 days, the recommended daily dosage set forth on the FDA-approved label for the duration of the recommended course of treatment. Manufacturers of drugs that appear on either or both of the current Essential Drug List or WAC Increase List must submit reports to the state by April 1 of each year. The elements of the manufacturer’s reports remain substantially the same, however SB 380 adds new reporting elements if the manufacturer acquired the intellectual property for the drug within the immediately preceding five years.

SB 380 also updates the reporting requirements for PBMs and adds a new reporting requirement for wholesalers that sell prescription drugs included on either or both of the lists compiled by the state. By April 1 of each year, wholesalers that sell these products must report information regarding WAC and rebates with manufacturers, pharmacies, PBMs, and other entities. Wholesalers that do not comply with the reporting requirements are subject to the same penalties that can be assessed against manufacturers and PBMs – i.e., up to $5,000 per day of violation.