Colorado legislators introduced HB 23-1227 during the House Health and Insurance Committee hearing on Tuesday, March 14. The bill revised existing PBM laws to include authority for the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to issue fines and other penalties for violations of law. The bill creates a Division of Insurance Cash Fund to receive the fines, which would fund the administration and enforcement of the law. The committee passed an amended version of the bill by a 9-1 vote, sending the revised legislation to the Committee on Appropriations.

Coloradans may soon be able to fill prescriptions via a video screen and a pre-loaded dispensing machine, thanks to a bipartisan bill that sailed through the House earlier this month. Pitched as a way to improve access to medications at odd hours and in underserved areas, HB23-1195 would allow these kiosks to open across Colorado. The machines, which look like refrigerators with a large screen and opening, would be pre-loaded with prescriptions, already counted and filled. A live human pharmacist, connected via video link, would consult with the patient and clear the way for the medicine to be dispensed. Current regulations around prescriptions — like double-counting of pills and ID checks for controlled substances — would still be in effect, said bill sponsor Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet.

Last year, HB 21-1275 (Medicaid Reimbursement for Services by Pharmacists) was passed in the state of Colorado. This bill defined eligibility for reimbursements that pharmacists would receive in exchange for services performed under the Medical Assistance Act. As a result, Medicaid must now reimburse pharmacists for providing medically necessary services. In response to the passage of HB 21-1275, The Colorado Medical Services Board has now approved emergency rules that revise the Medicaid program to enable this reimbursement. The adjusted rules give pharmacists the ability to receive reimbursement for services performed within their scope of practice, thus advancing provider status for pharmacists in the state.

HB 21-1275 concerns the reimbursement for pharmacist-conducted services under the Medical Assistance Act. This law modifies Colorado's Medicaid program to deliver payments to pharmacists working in collaborative practice agreements with a physician. It also sets up reimbursement for clinical services performed by pharmacists at federally qualified health centers.

Governor Jared Polis has signed into law SB 21-175, a law which creates a Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board (PDAB). The board is aimed to help manage out-of-pocket drug costs for consumers, but is limited in its scope. It has been met with some pushback from pharmacists and other healthcare provider amidst concerns of unintended consequences, such as limiting patient access to medications and squeezing even tighter margins for community pharmacies.

HB 21-1237 concerns the creation of a competitive pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) marketplace. This new law directs the state of Colorado to enter into contract with a PBM to administer state employee health insurance through a reverse-auction process, and then use that same platform to then audit claims of the PBMs performance and detect any deviations from specific terms of the contract.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently signed SB 11, which lays out new requirements for pharmacies dispensing opioids. Under the law, pharmacists must educate patients about the dangers of opioid use before dispensing them. In the event of opioid overdose, they must also offer patients antagonists like Narcan. Proponents of the bill expect that SB 11 will save lives and effectively address the opioid crisis.