BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday unanimously agreed to impose new oversight on the pharmaceutical industry and cap consumer costs for insulin.
The 40-0 vote drew praise from the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, which said the bill “contains necessary provisions for making the costs of prescription drugs more transparent, regulating pharmacy benefit managers and requiring that pharmacists help consumers find the lowest prices possible for prescription drugs.”
Sen. Cindy Friedman, an Arlington Democrat who co-chairs the Health Care Financing Committee, said in a statement that the bill “will bring us one step closer toward addressing rising costs within our healthcare system that continually impact patients’ ability to access the care they need.”