1.    Except for Medicare part D, prescription drug coverage, the board may not enter or renew a contract for prescription drug coverage unless the contract authorizes the board during the term of the contract to conduct a performance audit of the prescription drug coverage and any related pharmacy benefits management services. The contract must provide:

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 54-52.1-04.16

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

a.    The board must have full access to data regarding:

(1) The total dollars paid to the pharmacy benefits manager by the carrier and the board; (2) The total amount of dollars paid to the pharmacy benefits manager by the carrier which were not subsequently paid to a licensed pharmacy in the state; and

(3) Payments made to all pharmacy providers.

b.    The board must have full access to data regarding the average reimbursement, by drug ingredient cost, dispensing fee, and any other fee paid by a pharmacy benefits manager to licensed pharmacies with which the pharmacy benefits manager shares common ownership or control or is affiliated.

c.    The board must have full access to data regarding the average reimbursement, by drug ingredient cost, dispensing fee, and any other fee paid by a pharmacy benefits manager to pharmacies licensed in the state.

d.    The board must have full access to data regarding any direct and indirect fees, charges, or recoupment, or any kind of assessments imposed by the pharmacy benefits manager on pharmacies licensed with which the pharmacy benefits manager shares common ownership or control or is affiliated.

e.    The board must have full access to data regarding any direct and indirect fees, charges, or recoupment, or any kind of assessments imposed by the pharmacy benefits manager, on pharmacies licensed in the state.

f.    The contract must provide that all drug rebates, financial incentives, fees, and discounts must be disclosed to the board.

2.    The board shall use an independent auditor who has no conflict of interest with the carrier, pharmacy benefits manager, or board. The board’s auditor, the insurance department, and the employee benefits programs committee may access any information the board may access under this section. All information accessed by the board, board’s auditor, insurance department, or employee benefits programs committee which is trade secret is a confidential record. This subsection does not limit the information required to be disclosed to the board under subsection 1.

3.    Except for Medicare part D, if the board contracts directly with a pharmacy benefits manager or provides prescription drug coverage through a self-insurance plan, the contract must provide the pharmacy benefits manager shall disclose to the board and the board’s auditor all rebates and any other fees that provide the pharmacy benefits manager with sources of income under the contract, including under related contracts the pharmacy benefits manager has with third parties, such as drug manufacturers.

4.    Anything the board has access to under this section, the insurance department and employee benefits programs committee has access to.