New York Excise Tax Makes It Harder To Fill Opioid Prescriptions

After New York State implemented an excise tax on many opioids in July 2019, some patients have had difficulty filling opioid prescriptions, Kaiser Health News reports.

The state implemented the tax as a way to punish major drug companies for their role in the opioid epidemic, and to generate funds for treatment. Many drug manufacturers and wholesalers stopped selling opioids in New York in order to avoid paying the tax.

The state anticipated raising $100 million from the tax, but has brought in less than $30 million, two legislators told Kaiser Health News. They said none of the funds were earmarked for addiction treatment.

The state’s Department of Health has delayed an expected report on the impact of the tax twice this year.