WSR 08-10-109

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF

SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Health and Recovery Services Administration)

[ Filed May 7, 2008, 11:34 a.m. ]

     Subject of Possible Rule Making: The department is amending chapter 388-530 WAC, Prescription drugs (outpatient).

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.08.090, chapter 245, Laws of 2008.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: HRSA is updating the prescription drugs (outpatient) rules to:

Expand the smoking cessation benefit.
Correct typographical and grammatical errors.
Reinstate and clarify rules for vitamin and mineral coverage which were inadvertently omitted from the previous WAC revision.
Reinstate and clarify rules for over-the-counter (OTC) coverage, which were inadvertently omitted from the previous WAC revision.
Clarify (broaden) fluoride coverage, including age of children receiving fluoride.
Remove reference to the prior authorization requirements for the number of brand name drugs filled in a calendar month because the therapeutic consultation service has been eliminated.
Include combination drugs in the Washington PDL that have been studied by the evidence-based practice center and have been reviewed by the P&T committee.
Clarify that some preferred drugs may require prior authorization or have specific limitations and still be subject to the therapeutic interchange program.

     Process for Developing New Rule: DSHS welcomes the public to take part in developing the rules. Anyone interested should contact the staff person identified below. At a later date, DSHS will file a proposal with the office of the code reviser with a notice of proposed rule making. A copy of the proposal will be sent to everyone on the mailing list and to anyone who requests a copy.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Jonell O. Blatt, P.O. Box 45504, Olympia, WA 98504-5504, phone (360) 725-1571, fax (360) 586-9727, TTY 1-800-848-5429, e-mail blattj@dshs.wa.gov.

May 7, 2008

Stephanie E. Schiller

Rules Coordinator

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office