Drugs & Medication
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 1471 - Fowler - Health insurance; electronic prior authorization and disclosure of certain information. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Energy (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0474) | 03/24/23 |
| notes: Requires each health insurance carrier, beginning July 1, 2025, to establish and maintain an online process that (i) links directly to all e-prescribing systems and electronic health record systems that utilize the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs SCRIPT standard; (ii) can accept electronic prior authorization requests from a provider; (iii) can approve electronic prior authorization requests (a) for which no additional information is needed by the carrier to process the prior authorization request, (b) for which no clinical review is required, and (c) that meet the carrier's criteria for approval; and (iv) otherwise meets the requirements for contracts between carriers and participating health care providers. The bill prohibits a carrier from (a) imposing a fee or charge on any person for accessing the required online process who is required to do so or (b) accessing, absent provider consent, provider data via the online process other than for the enrollee. The bill also requires carriers, no later than July 1, 2024, to provide contact information of any third-party vendor or other entity the carrier will use to meet the requirements of the bill to any provider that requests such information. The carrier may post such information on its website to meet such requirement. | |||
| HB 1596 - Delaney - Prescription Drug Affordability Board and Fund; established, report, drug cost affordability review. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Energy | (H) Left in Commerce and Energy | 02/07/23 |
| notes:
Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board for the purpose of protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth, state and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the Commonwealth, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. The bill directs the Governor to appoint the members and alternate members of the Board and requires the Board to meet in open session at least four times annually, with certain exceptions and requirements enumerated in the bill. Members of the Board are required to disclose any conflicts of interest, as described in the bill. The bill also creates a stakeholder council for the purpose of assisting the Board in making decisions related to drug cost affordability. The bill tasks the Board with identifying prescription, generic, and other drugs, as defined in the bill, that are offered for sale in the Commonwealth and, at the Board's discretion, conducting an affordability review of any prescription drug product. The bill lists factors for the Board to consider that indicate an affordability challenge for the health care system in the Commonwealth or high out-of-pocket costs for patients. The bill also provides that any person aggrieved by a decision of the Board may request an appeal of the Board's decision and that the Attorney General shall have authority to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill also creates the Prescription Drug Affordability Fund to be used for funding the operations of the Board and reimbursing state agencies for implementing the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the Board to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly twice annua |
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| HB 1814 - Wachsmann - Prescription Monitoring Program; exemptions, licensed narcotic maintenance treatment programs. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Education and Health | (S) Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (14-Y 0-N) | 02/16/23 |
| notes: Removes dispensing of covered substances within a licensed narcotic maintenance treatment program from the list of circumstances exempt from reporting requirements of the Prescription Monitoring Program. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2024. | |||
| HB 2139 - Delaney - Prescription refills; authority of pharmacists to refill prescriptions for insulin. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0341) | 03/23/23 |
| notes: Allows pharmacists to refill prescriptions for insulin without authorization from the prescriber in emergencies. | |||
| HB 2233 - Sickles - Prescription drug price transparency; manufacturer reporting requirements. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Energy | (H) Left in Commerce and Energy | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Removes the requirement that a drug manufacturer submit to the Department of Health's contracted nonprofit data services organization all information included in the manufacturer's annual consolidation report on Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K or any other public disclosure in order for the manufacturer's prescription drug reporting obligations to be fully satisfied. | |||
| HB 2374 - Davis - Pharmacies; prohibits refusal to fill prescription from telemedicine provider. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0368) | 03/23/23 |
| notes: Prohibits pharmacists from refusing to fill prescriptions solely on the basis of a prescriber's use of a telemedicine platform to provide services. | |||
| HB 2465 - Hodges - Prescription drugs; return of drugs past their expiration dates. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions | (H) Left in Health, Welfare and Institutions | 02/07/23 |
| notes: Permits prescription drugs in full or partial containers to be returned up to six months after the labeled expiration date for full credit or replacement. | |||
| HB 2491 - Hodges - Health insurance; pharmacy benefits managers, employee welfare benefit plans. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Energy | (H) Stricken from docket by Commerce and Energy (20-Y 0-N) | 02/02/23 |
| notes: Provides that entities providing or administering self-insured or self-funded employee welfare benefit plans are subject to provisions related to pharmacy benefits management, including certain prohibited conduct and recordkeeping requirements. | |||
| SB 957 - Petersen - Prescription Drug Affordability Board and Fund; established, drug cost affordability review, etc. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Energy (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (H) Left in Commerce and Energy | 02/22/23 |
| notes:
Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board for the purpose of protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. The bill directs the Governor to appoint the members and alternate members of the Board and requires the Board to meet in open session at least four times annually, with certain exceptions and requirements enumerated in the bill. Members of the Board are required to disclose any conflicts of interest, as described in the bill. The bill also creates a stakeholder council for the purpose of assisting the Board in making decisions related to drug cost affordability. The bill tasks the Board with identifying prescription, generic, and other drugs, as defined in the bill, that are offered for sale in the Commonwealth and, at the Board's discretion, conducting an affordability review of any prescription drug product. The bill lists factors for the Board to consider that indicate an affordability challenge for the health care system in the Commonwealth or high out-of-pocket costs for patients. The bill also provides that any person aggrieved by a decision of the Board may request an appeal of the Board's decision and that the Attorney General shall have authority to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill also creates the Prescription Drug Affordability Fund to be used for funding the operations of the Board and reimbursing state agencies for implementing the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the Board to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly twice annually, beginning on July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024. Finally, the bill contains a severability clause and |
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