It’s likely cities and towns will blow through their snow removal budgets this year, but state Comptroller Kevin Lembo said Wednesday they can save money by joining the state’s pool for prescription drug purchases.
“Towns and cities can potentially save millions by harnessing the state’s purchasing power,” Lembo said in a statement Wednesday. “Those savings build, for both state and municipal taxpayers, as more towns and cities participate.”
The program created last year is a self-insured prescription drug pool for public employees.
Lembo also proposed legislation Thursday to consolidate the state’s drug purchasing under the Office of the Comptroller. He said the measure could save the state $66.5 million. While it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated $3.67 billion budget deficit, Lembo says every dollar counts.
The Office of the Comptroller currently purchases prescription drugs for state employees and retirees through a contract with Caremark. The Department of Social Services purchases drugs separately for Medicaid, HUSKY, ConnPACE and Charter Oak participants.
A recent claims analysis of these state contracts and DSS claims reveals that the state could see tremendous savings by consolidating this purchasing under the comptroller’s office. The savings would primarily be achieved through volume-related discounts.
