HAUPPAUGE - A proposal that could lead to the leveraging of prescription drug purchasing power among the county, towns and schools in Suffolk County has been issued to prominent pharmacy benefit managers.

The request for proposal (RFP) was distributed to 17 prescription benefit management companies and is being advertised to maximize interest and generate additional responses. County Executive Steven Levy said the RFP should receive substantial interest and lead to taxpayer savings, considering the dynamics of this highly competitive market.

The prescription drug purchasing proposal was first detailed in a 2007 Shared Services White Paper developed by Levy, along with school and municipal officials. The proposal gained momentum this past July, when the county executive was joined by Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan and Brookhaven Supervisor Brian Foley, along with representatives from the Town of Babylon and Eastern Suffolk BOCES Chief Operating Officer Gary Bixhorn. East Hampton and Smithtown are evaluating the concept as well.

Islip, Babylon and Huntington subsequently issued a joint RFP to formally study options including Levy’s intergovernmental initiative. A consultant to conduct the 30-day study could be selected as early as next week.

Levy said that a key component of Suffolk’s RFP will be the ability for municipalities and school districts in Suffolk to cooperatively obtain the same discounts from the same vendors. The greater the number of participants in the program, the larger the discount will be. All municipalities and schools in the county that would like to join can get additional details by contacting Neil Toomb at 631-853-4414.