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HB 918

PHARMACIES: Provides relative to pharmaceutical costs (OR +$153,127 GF EX See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jay Gallé

HB 918 requires disclosure of drug costs for a critical list, annual Louisiana pricing analysis, and marketing price disclosures to curb high prescription costs.

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
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Bill Summary · HB 918

Summary of HB 918 (2026) – Louisiana

Main purpose and intent

HB 918 aims to promote transparency and accountability in prescription drug pricing in Louisiana. The bill establishes a framework for identifying “critical prescription drugs,” requiring manufacturers to disclose detailed cost and pricing information, and mandating price disclosures in certain marketing communications. It also directs the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to assemble a publicly accessible, data-driven view of drug costs and to provide annual legislative reports with recommendations to reduce costs while preserving access and quality of care.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions and scope

    • Expands LDH authority to define terms such as “Department,” “Manufacturer,” and “Wholesale acquisition cost” for purposes of this subpart.
    • Creates new reporting requirements tied to drugs placed on the “critical prescription drug list.”

  • Critical prescription drug list (R.S. 40:2255.2)

    • LDH must develop and maintain a list of drugs with substantial public pricing interest.
    • List considerations include:
    • Cost to public programs (e.g., Medicaid)
    • In-state drug pricing and usage
    • Availability and cost of alternatives
    • Therapeutic outcomes and efficacy
    • Other objective factors relevant to Louisiana’s access and affordability goals
    • Department may accept recommendations from government agencies, the public, healthcare practitioners, manufacturers, insurers, and other stakeholders.
    • The list must be reviewed and updated at least every three years.

  • Manufacturer reporting (R.S. 40:2255.3)

    • For each drug on the critical list, manufacturers must report:
    • Total and per-dose production costs
    • Research and development costs (publicly funded, after-tax, and third-party funded)
    • Marketing/advertising costs (broken down by consumer, prescriber outreach, and Louisiana-focused activity)
    • Prices charged abroad (by country) for a representative set of countries
    • Prices charged to Louisiana purchasers (pharmacies, chains, wholesalers, and other purchasers)

  • Rulemaking and enforcement (R.S. 40:2255.4)

    • LDH may adopt rules to implement reporting requirements.
    • Failure to provide information can be pursued as a prohibited practice under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.

  • Confidentiality (R.S. 2255.15)

    • Manufacturer-reported information is confidential and exempt from public records requests.
    • Public reporting, when done, must be aggregated to protect sensitive data.

  • Annual report to the legislature (R.S. 40:2255.6)

    • LDH must publish an annual report analyzing prescription drug prices and overall healthcare spending in Louisiana.
    • Identify drugs with excessively high costs relative to other states/countries and development costs.
    • Include recommendations for actions to lower costs while maintaining access and care.
    • Report due to House and Senate health committees no later than 60 days before the start of the regular session; also publicly available on LDH’s website.

  • Disclosure in marketing materials (R.S. 40:2255.7)

    • Vendors marketing prescription drugs directly to healthcare providers must include price information in educational/marketing materials.
    • Required disclosures include date of materials, drug name, current manufacturer, and various price metrics (e.g., average wholesale acquisition cost, duration-specific cost, indications, dates, and pricing history).
    • Disclosures must be on a form prescribed by LDH and delivered concurrently with other marketing materials.

  • Public records exemptions

    • Adds the confidentiality provisions for reported drug pricing data to the list of public records exceptions.

Who/what is affected

  • Entities affected: Pharmaceutical manufacturers whose drugs are placed on the critical prescription drug list; LDH as the implementing agency; healthcare providers and organizations receiving marketing materials; public and policymakers relying on the annual LDH reports.
  • Geographic focus: Louisiana, with data comparisons to other states and international pricing where applicable.

Procedural and timeline elements

  • List development and tri-yearly updates (at least every 3 years).
  • Annual reporting to the legislature (due no later than 60 days before the regular session and publicly available).
  • Rulemaking to implement provisions, with enforcement under existing Unfair Trade Practices laws.
  • Confidential handling of pricing data, with aggregated public reporting.

Overall, HB 918 seeks to illuminate and potentially curb high prescription drug costs in Louisiana through data disclosure, annual scrutiny, and targeted transparency in provider-facing marketing.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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