Massachusetts Is Already Taxing Consumers for Some Drugs

You probably never noticed it, or perhaps you did and thought little about it. I'm talking about the tax you currently pay for some meds in Massachusetts.

Sometimes, being a radio talk show host requires having an adequate supply of Extra Strength Tylenol within reach. On one such occasion, I walked across the street to Stop & Shop to replenish that supply.

After my usual terse discourse with the self-checkout machine, I noticed I was assessed a sales tax on my Tylenol. Is that legal? I thought meds were tax-free, even in Taxachusetts.

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Given the recent outrage over Governor Maura Healey's failed proposal to impose a tax on prescription drugs, I decided to pursue it.

The kindly woman who stood ready to assist in the self-checkout area didn't know if over-the-counter drugs were taxable in Massachusetts, so she directed me to the service desk.

It took the nice lady at the service desk just one look at my receipt to confirm I had been taxed for my purchase – but was I supposed to be? She didn't know. Let's get the manager.

The store manager arrived on the scene promptly and after consulting with the folks in the pharmacy and her cell phone, determined that yes, the tax on my Tylenol is in fact legal.

In Massachusetts, prescription drugs are generally exempt from sales tax, while over-the-counter meds are subject to tax unless prescribed by a doctor.

So Tylenol and most other over-the-counter drugs purchased from the shelf are subject to tax, but the same product, if prescribed by a doctor, is not.

Even when these politicians give me a headache, I must dole out taxes to get relief.

OMG! Someone pass the Tylenol.