1. A carrier who offers or issues a health benefit plan which provides coverage for prescription drugs:

(a) Must authorize coverage for and may apply a copayment and deductible to a prescription that is dispensed by a pharmacy for less than a 30-day supply if, for the purpose of synchronizing the insured’s chronic medications:

(1) The prescriber or pharmacist determines that filling or refilling the prescription in that manner is in the best interest of the insured; and

(2) The insured requests less than a 30-day supply.

(b) May not deny coverage for a prescription described in paragraph (a) which is otherwise approved for coverage by the carrier.

(c) Unless otherwise provided by a contract or other agreement, may not prorate any pharmacy dispensing fees for a prescription described in paragraph (a).

2. A health benefit plan subject to the provisions of this chapter which provides coverage for prescription drugs and that is delivered, issued for delivery or renewed on or after January 1, 2017, has the legal effect of providing that coverage subject to the requirements of this section, and any provision of the health benefit plan or renewal which is in conflict with this section is void.

3. The provisions of this section do not apply to unit-of-use packaging for which synchronization is not practicable or to a controlled substance.

4. As used in this section:

(a) “Chronic medication” means any drug that is prescribed to treat any disease or other condition which is determined to be permanent, persistent or lasting indefinitely.

(b) “Synchronization” means the alignment of the dispensing of multiple medications by a single contracted pharmacy for the purpose of improving a patient’s adherence to a prescribed course of medication.

(c) “Unit-of-use packaging” means medication that is prepackaged by the manufacturer in blister packs, compliance packs, course-of-therapy packs or any other packaging which is designed and intended to be dispensed directly to the patient without modification by the dispensing pharmacy, except for the addition of a prescription label.

(Added to NRS by 2015, 2125)