An Act relative to specialty medications and patient safety

This bill updates Massachusetts state laws to clarify how insurance plans for public employees must handle specialty medications, which are complex drugs used to treat chronic conditions. It establishes specific rules requiring insurers to allow patients to receive these medications at home or in clinics rather than forcing them to pick up the drugs themselves. The legislation mandates that if an insurer does require a pharmacy to send medication to a doctor's office or hospital, they must provide at least 60 days' notice, ensure same-day delivery, maintain proper temperature control, and pay providers for the costs of storing and disposing of the drugs. Additionally, the bill prohibits requiring the use of home infusion services for sterile intravenous drugs and restricts the distribution of certain high-risk medications to third-party specialty pharmacies.