(a) "Pharmacy benefit manager" means an entity that contracts with pharmacies or pharmacy contracting agents on behalf of a health plan, state agency, insurer, managed care organization, or other third party payor to provide pharmacy health benefit services or administration.

(b) "Maximum allowable cost price" means a maximum reimbursement amount set by the pharmacy benefit manager for therapeutically equivalent multiple source generic drugs. 2. A pharmacy benefit manager shall, with respect to contracts between a pharmacy benefit manager and a pharmacy or, alternatively, a pharmacy benefit manager and a pharmacy's contracting agent, such as a pharmacy services administrative organization, include a reasonable process to appeal, investigate and resolve disputes regarding multi-source generic drug pricing. The appeals process shall include the following provisions:

(a) the right to appeal by the pharmacy and/or the pharmacy's contracting agent shall be limited to thirty days following the initial claim submitted for payment;

(b) a telephone number through which a network pharmacy may contact the pharmacy benefit manager for the purpose of filing an appeal and an electronic mail address of the individual who is responsible for processing appeals;

(c) the pharmacy benefit manager shall send an electronic mail message acknowledging receipt of the appeal. The pharmacy benefit manager shall respond in an electronic message to the pharmacy and/or the pharmacy's contracting agent filing the appeal within seven business days indicating its determination. If the appeal is determined to be valid, the maximum allowable cost for the drug shall be adjusted for the appealing pharmacy effective as of the date of the original claim for payment. The pharmacy benefit manager shall require the appealing pharmacy to reverse and rebill the claim in question in order to obtain the corrected reimbursement;

(d) if an update to the maximum allowable cost is warranted, the pharmacy benefit manager or covered entity shall adjust the maximum allowable cost of the drug effective for all similarly situated pharmacies in its network in the state on the date the appeal was determined to be valid; and

(e) if an appeal is denied, the pharmacy benefit manager shall identify the national drug code of a therapeutically equivalent drug, as determined by the federal Food and Drug Administration, that is available for purchase by pharmacies in this state from wholesalers registered pursuant to subdivision four of section sixty-eight hundred eight of the education law at a price which is equal to or less than the maximum allowable cost for that drug as determined by the pharmacy benefit manager. 3. No pharmacy benefit manager shall, with respect to contracts between such pharmacy benefit manager and a pharmacy or, alternatively, such pharmacy benefit manager and a pharmacy's contracting agent, such as a pharmacy services administrative organization:

(a) prohibit or penalize a pharmacist or pharmacy from disclosing to an individual purchasing a prescription medication information regarding:

(1) the cost of the prescription medication to the individual, or

(2) the availability of any therapeutically equivalent alternative medications or alternative methods of purchasing the prescription medication, including but not limited to, paying a cash price; or

(b) charge or collect from an individual a copayment that exceeds the total submitted charges by the pharmacy for which the pharmacy is paid. If an individual pays a copayment, the pharmacy shall retain the adjudicated costs and the pharmacy benefit manager shall not redact or recoup the adjudicated cost. 4. Any provision of a contract that violates the provisions of this section shall be deemed to be void and unenforceable.