5904-S AMS RASM S2547.1

SSB 5904 - S AMD 213

By Senator Rasmussen

BEYOND SCOPE 03/17/2003

Beginning on page 2, line 37, after "those" strike all material through "purchases, to" on page 3, line 1 and insert "negotiated for its preferred prescription drugs, pursuant to the process established in section 4 of this act. The price discounts negotiated as a result of this process shall"

SSB 5904 - S AMD 213

By Senator Rasmussen

BEYOND SCOPE 03/17/2003

On page 3, after line 13, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 41.05 RCW to read as follows:

The administrator shall establish a pharmacy and therapeutics committee to identify its preferred drugs.

(1) The pharmacy and therapeutics committee shall be comprised of practicing licensed physicians, other practicing licensed health professionals with prescriptive authority, practicing licensed pharmacists, and pharmacoeconomists. At least one licensed health professional with prescriptive authority and one pharmacist must have demonstrated experience in serving women, children, and people of color. The membership composition must be consistent with applicable federal requirements under Title XIX of the federal social security act to allow full participation by the department of social and health services or other state agencies in activities under this act.

(2) The pharmacy and therapeutics committee shall review nationally recognized therapeutic drug classes. The committee must use an evidence-based process that evaluates the efficacy of prescription drugs, considering safety, efficacy, likelihood of compliance, outcomes, and any unique impacts on specific populations based upon factors such as sex, age, ethnicity, race, or disability. For each therapeutic class reviewed, the committee must identify the prescription drugs determined to be most clinically effective, and if applicable, equally effective. Decisions of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee regarding the clinical effectiveness of drugs within a therapeutic class are binding on the administrator.

(3) Members of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee are immune from civil liability for any official acts performed in good faith as members of the committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 41.05 RCW to read as follows:

State-purchased health care programs shall adopt any preferred drug list established by the administrator for the price discount program components of their programs that purchase prescription drugs directly or through reimbursement of retail pharmacies consistent with the scope of benefits offered through those programs. In administering prescription drug benefits under state-purchased health care programs, agencies shall honor an endorsing prescriber's direction to dispense a prescription drug as written on the prescription order or to continue therapy with the drug classes included in section 4 of this act."

Renumber the remaining sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

--- END ---