Nevada moves forward with low-cost drug program

CARSON CITY – Nevada is moving ahead with joining a multi-state consortium for prescription drug purchasing that could help Nevadans save on generic and brand name drugs.

The state is joining the Northwest Prescription Drug Consortium operated by Oregon and Washington, the stater Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday, following Gov. Steve Sisolak’s preview of the move in an address last week.

“This is a great opportunity for the people of Nevada who face high costs for their vital prescription medications,” said Dr. Beth Slamowitz, the department’s senior policy adviser on pharmacy, in a statement. Enrollees can save an average 80 percent on generics and up to 20 percent on on brand name drugs, the department said in announcing the action.

Once the state joins, enrollment in the program is free and available to all residents regardless of existing coverage or insurance status. Consumers with drug coverage can use whichever pharmacy benefit provides the best price. All FDA-approved drugs prescribed by a licensed clinician are eligible and there are no formulary restrictions.

The consortium, recently rebranded ArrayRx Solutions, was founded in 2006 as an intergovernmental agreement between Oregon and Washington to coordinate the two states’ programs and combine their drug purchasing power to lower costs and negotiate and establish discounts.The group’s website says it facilitates more than $800 million in annual drug purchases for over 1 million people, generating nearly $100 million in savings for participants since 2016.

It provides a free discount card program that can be used at more than 65,000 pharmacies nationally for lower prices on all FDA-approved drugs. More information is available at ArrayRXCard.com.

The program, which also poses no costs to the state, advances Nevada’s efforts to increase drug price transparency and lower costs. Senate Bill 380, passed in 2021, aims at improving price transparency, while Senate Bill 396 authorized the state to enter into multi-jurisdiction purchasing agreements such as the one announced Monday.

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews on Twitter.