Florida bill limiting 'repackaged' drug prices vetoed

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has vetoed a bill that would have limited reimbursement amounts doctors can receive for dispensing “repackaged” pharmaceutical prescription drugs to workers compensation claimants.

H.B. 5603 would have helped control state risk management expenses and employers' workers comp costs, the governor said in his Friday veto message. But he said the bill also could result in “numerous unintended consequences that could adversely impact injured workers.”

The governor did not discuss the potential unintended consequences.

“While limiting reimbursement rates for relabeled and repackaged prescription drugs sounds like a reasonable way to control costs, this is a complicated issue that was not fully vetted during the legislative process,” Gov. Crist said in his veto message.

Some states, such as California, have capped prices on repackaged drugs. The practice refers to doctors repackaging pharmaceuticals and charging a fee for dispensing them from their offices, often at marked-up prices.

Among other measures, the bill that the Florida governor vetoed also would have required certain state agencies to set up return-to-work programs.