Sen. Bailey bill to increase access to mail-order prescription drugs signed into law

AUGUSTA — On Monday, April 13, a bill from Sen. Donna Bailey, D-Saco, was signed into law. LD 2005, “An Act Regarding Mail Order Delivery of Prescription Drugs,” will increase access to prescriptions when mail-order prescription drugs arrive late or in an unusable condition.

“Although this was the ‘short’ session, we still got a lot of important work done,” said Sen. Bailey. “Along with my new medical debt law, this law will help Mainers in a meaningful way. If you order your prescription drugs through the mail, then you should be able to get them on time and in good condition. When that does not happen, you deserve to have a backup. My law makes that possible.”

Mail-order pharmacies, which ship medication to patients’ homes, protect access to prescription drugs for Mainers who cannot pick up prescriptions in person at their local brick-and-mortar pharmacies or who live in pharmacy deserts. Sen. Bailey’s new law bolsters those protections by ensuring mail-order pharmacy users are guaranteed access to a backup plan should their medications arrive damaged or dangerously late.

Once it takes effect, the new law will ensure that a person can get their mail-order prescription drug at an in-network pharmacy if the mail-order prescription drug arrives more than one day after the expected delivery date — or in an unusable condition. It will also ensure that a person will not have to pay additional co-payments, co-insurance payments or out-of-pocket payments for getting their prescription drug at the pharmacy.

As non-emergency legislation, LD 2005 will go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns.

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