Drugs & Medication
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 94 - Wachsmann - Nonresident pharmacies; pharmacy benefits administrators. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services | (H) Left in Health and Human Services | 02/13/24 |
| notes: Removes a provision permitting a registered nonresident pharmacy that provides services as a pharmacy benefits administrator from operating without designating a Virginia licensed pharmacist in charge. | |||
| HB 104 - Wachsmann - Provider contracts; pharmacies allowed to refuse to fill certain prescriptions. | (H) Committee on Labor and Commerce | (H) Left in Labor and Commerce | 02/13/24 |
| notes: Requires a provider contract between a health carrier or its pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy or its contracting agent to contain a specific provision allowing the pharmacy to refuse to fill a prescription for a drug that is reimbursed below the actual cost of the medication. | |||
| HB 349 - Henson - Advanced registered medication aides; aides who administer drugs in certified nursing facilities. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0284) | 04/02/24 |
| notes: Requires medication aides who administers drugs that would otherwise be self-administered to residents in a certified nursing facility licensed by the Department of Health to register with the Board of Nursing. Under the bill, a medication aide who is registered to administer drugs to residents in a certified nursing facility shall also be eligible to administer drugs that would otherwise be self-administered to residents in an assisted living facility. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025. The bill also requires the Board of Nursing to convene a work group to develop recommendations to enable such medication aides to administer drugs to residents in a certified nursing facility and to report such recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions by November 1, 2024. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Health to promulgate regulations to authorize such medication aides to administer prescription drugs to residents in certified nursing facilities. The bill directs the Board of Nursing to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill to be effective as of July 1, 2025. | |||
| HB 570 - Delaney - Prescription Drug Affordability Board; established, drug cost affordability review, report. | (H) Committee on Appropriations (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (H) House sustained Governor's veto | 04/17/24 |
| 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 requires the Board to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly twice annually, beginning on July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Provisions of the bill shall apply to state-sponsored and state-regulated health plans and health programs and obligate such policies to limit drug payment amounts and reimbursements to an upper payment limit amount set by the Board, if applicable, following an a |
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| HB 592 - Sickles - Prescription drugs; emergency regulations related to price transparency, effective period. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Approved by Governor-Chapter 727 (effective 4/8/24) | 04/08/24 |
| notes: Directs that the emergency regulations 12VAC5-219, promulgated by the Department of Health pursuant to Chapter 304 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I, shall remain in effect until the promulgation of final regulations. The bill requires such effective period to be retroactive to January 1, 2024, and contains an emergency clause. | |||
| HB 820 - Mundon King - Sickle cell disease; annual review of medication and treatment, report. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0306) | 04/02/24 |
| notes: Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to conduct an annual review of all medications and forms of treatment for sickle cell disease, and services for enrollees with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease, that are eligible for coverage under the state plan for medical assistance. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations by November 15 each year to the Chairmen of the House Committee of Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health and to the Joint Commission on Health Care. | |||
| HB 1006 - Wachsmann - Health insurance; freedom of choice, delivery of prescription drugs or devices. | (H) Committee on Labor and Commerce | (H) Left in Labor and Commerce | 02/13/24 |
| notes: Prohibits an insurer, health maintenance organization, corporation providing preferred provider subscription contracts, or pharmacy benefits manager from imposing upon any person receiving pharmaceutical benefits any policy or practice requiring or incentivizing a prescription drug or device to be sent (i) directly to a health care provider for administration to a patient, (ii) to a specific pharmacy selected by such insurer, organization, corporation, or pharmacy benefits manager, or (iii) to the residence of such person. | |||
| HB 1038 - Wachsmann - Automated and remote dispensing systems; use in certain facilities. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services | (H) Incorporated by Health and Human Services (HB1336-Sickles) | 01/30/24 |
| notes: Defines "remote dispensing system" as a profile-driven automated drug dispensing system that performs operations or activities relative to the storage, packaging, labeling, or dispensing of medications employing bidirectional and audio-visual technology to facilitate pharmacist communication with a patient, an authorized agent of a patient, or a person licensed to administer drugs, and collects, controls, and maintains all transaction information. The bill allows for the use of remote dispensing systems in hospitals, state facilities licensed pursuant to Title 37.2, services licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as a site-based crisis stabilization unit, and any other facility authorized by the Board of Pharmacy in regulation wherein drugs are administered only by persons licensed to administer drugs and where the pharmacist-in-charge can ensure the security and environmental integrity of the drugs and devices. The bill extends the use of automated drug dispensing systems from use only in hospitals to use in each such facility listed above. | |||
| HB 1067 - Hodges - Pharmacy technicians; expansion of allowable duties. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0214) | 03/28/24 |
| notes: Allows pharmacy technicians to clarify quantity or refills for a prescription issued for a Schedule VI drug. Current law only allows pharmacy technicians to accept refill authorizations for prescribed drugs. The bill also allows pharmacy technicians to accept electronic transfer of a refill for a Schedule VI drug upon order of the pharmacist-in-charge or pharmacist on duty if the refill is not an on-hold prescription. The bill defines "on-hold prescription" as a valid prescription that is received and maintained at the pharmacy for initial dispensing on a future date. | |||
| HB 1068 - Hodges - Pharmacy outsourcing and pharmacy technician remote database access; regulations. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0407) | 04/04/24 |
| notes: Directs the Board of Pharmacy (the Board) to promulgate regulations related to pharmacy outsourcing and pharmacy technician remote database access. The bill also requires the Board to convene a work group to review issues related to prescription processing delays affecting the health, safety, and welfare of patients. The bill directs the Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. | |||
| HB 1166 - Wyatt - Central fill pharmacies; establishes requirements. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services | (H) Left in Health and Human Services | 02/13/24 |
| notes: Establishes requirements for central fill pharmacies, which are defined in the bill as permitted pharmacy facilities that, upon the request of an originating pharmacy, perform the product fulfillment of a drug order and return the filled prescription to the originating pharmacy for delivery to the patient or patient's agent or, for non-federally controlled substances, send the filled prescription directly to the patient. The bill directs the Board of Pharmacy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. | |||
| SB 74 - Durant - Prescription Monitoring Program; release of records to drug court administrators. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0033) | 03/08/24 |
| notes: Requires the Director of the Department of Health Professions to release otherwise confidential information from the Prescription Monitoring Program when such information is relevant to a specific investigation, supervision, or monitoring of a specific recipient for purposes of the administration of criminal justice to drug court administrators and behavioral health docket administrators who have completed the Virginia State Police Drug Diversion School designated by the Director of the Department of Corrections or his designee. The bill requires release of the information upon receiving a request for information in accordance with the Department of Health Profession's regulations and in compliance with applicable federal law and regulations. | |||
| SB 119 - Lucas - Drug manufacturers; permitting and registration, certain conditions related to 340B-covered drugs. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (S) Communicated to Governor | 04/17/24 |
| notes: Requires a drug manufacturer, as a condition of obtaining a permit or as a condition of registration or renewal of registration, to certify that it does not limit the number of contract pharmacies or covered entities, as defined in relevant law, to which it ships 340B-covered drugs and that it does not impose requirements, exclusions, reimbursement terms, or other conditions on a contract pharmacy or covered entity that differ from those applied to pharmacies or entities that are not contract pharmacies or covered entities on the basis that the pharmacy or entity is a contract pharmacy or covered entity or that the pharmacy or entity dispenses 340B-covered drugs. | |||
| SB 186 - Subramanyam - Wholesale prescription drug importation program; Sec. of Health and Human Resources to establish. | (H) Committee on Appropriations (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (G) Approved by Governor-Chapter 620 (effective 7/1/24) | 04/08/24 |
| notes: Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to establish a wholesale prescription drug importation program that complies with the requirements of federal law and to report annually by October 1 to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health on the wholesale prescription drug importation program. The bill also requires the Secretary to (i) convene a work group composed of relevant stakeholders to develop a plan for implementation of the wholesale prescription drug importation program and report the plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1, 2024, and (ii) seek such federal approvals, waivers, exemptions, or agreements as may be necessary to enable all covered entities enrolled in or eligible for the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to participate in the wholesale prescription drug importation program to the greatest extent possible without jeopardizing their eligibility for the 340B Drug Pricing Program by July 1, 2025. | |||
| SB 274 - Deeds - Prescription Drug Affordability Board; established, drug cost affordability review, report. | (H) Committee on Labor and Commerce (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (S) Requires 2/3 members present | 04/17/24 |
| 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 requires the Board to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly twice annually, beginning on July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Provisions of the bill shall apply to state-sponsored and state-regulated health plans and health programs and obligate such policies to limit drug payment amounts and reimbursements to an upper payment limit amount set by the Board, if applicable, following an a |
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| SB 376 - Boysko - Health insurance; limit on cost-sharing payments for prescription drugs under certain plans. | (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (S) Continued to 2025 in Commerce and Labor (15-Y 0-N) | 01/22/24 |
| notes: Requires each carrier that offers a health plan in either the individual or small group market to ensure that at least 50 percent of all health plans offered by the carrier, or at least one health plan if the carrier offers fewer than two health plans, in each rating area and in each of the bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels of coverage in the individual and small group market conform with the following: (i) a plan that offers a silver, gold, or platinum level of coverage limits a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $100 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug and (ii) a plan that offers a bronze level of coverage limits a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $150 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug. The bill provides that such limits apply at any point in the benefit design, including before and after any applicable deductible is reached. The bill requires that any plans offered to meet its requirements are (a) clearly and appropriately named to aid the consumer or plan sponsor in the plan selection process and (b) marketed in the same manner as other plans offered by the health insurance carrier. The provisions of the bill apply with respect to health plans entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2025. | |||