Minnesota is the seventh state to approve a new 340B contract pharmacy law that forbids drug manufacturers and distributors from limiting access to medications for hospitals and health systems serving uninsured and underinsured populations.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed the bill into law June 6, according to 340B Report.
The Minnesota House first approved the legislation May 18, according to a news release from the state's legislature.
"I’ll put the needs of our rural hospitals ahead of the profits of drug companies every day of the week, and this bill is a big win for the providers who rely on the savings under 340B to care for Minnesotans," Minnesota state Rep. Dave Lislegard, who authored the bill, said in the release.
While there is a federal push to do the same — under the Sustain 340B bill — several states have begun to enact their own laws to forbid contract pharmacy price discrimination in the meantime.
Minnesota joined the likes of Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and West Virginia in the enactment of 340B legislation related to contract pharmacies.