Representative Mark Falzone announced the successful passage in the Massachusetts House of Representatives of the amendment he authored to save individuals and small businesses significant amounts of money on prescription drugs. This legislation requires the bulk purchasing of pharmaceuticals in order to gain the cost benefits for small businesses and individuals in the Commonwealth. It also specifies the process by which the Secretary of Administration and Finance must develop the program for purchasing in bulk these prescription drugs.

Representative Falzone emphasized, “My amendment will create major savings on the cost of pharmaceuticals throughout our Commonwealth, and its passage in the House is a tremendous step forward. I placed a special emphasis in this legislation on the required assurance that quality cannot be sacrificed even as we extend the benefits of bulk purchasing to individuals and small businesses in Massachusetts. To avoid any stalling or delay I also detailed the steps that the Secretary of Administration and Finance must take to maximize the dollar savings made available.”

The Falzone Amendment requires the development of a program to aggregate the purchase of prescription drugs for individuals and small businesses eligible and covered by small group health insurance. It specifies the input the Secretary of Administration and Finance must have before selecting the most beneficial of the bulk purchasing proposals. All current contracts will be honored unless renegotiated.

Falzone noted, “Curbing healthcare costs increases benefits to individuals, businesses, and government at every level. Prescription drugs have become a huge part of healthcare expenses and inflation, and my bulk purchasing legislation will create and save jobs as it allows businesses to employ more people at lower medical cost.”