HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2394

BYRepresentatives Day, Morris, Rector, Silver, D. Sommers, Braddock, Prentice, Moyer and Dellwo

Modifying requirements for prescription forms for out-of-state practitioners.

House Committe on Health Care

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (9)

      Signed by Representatives Braddock, Chair; Day, Vice Chair; Brooks, Ranking Republican Member; Chandler, Morris, Sommers, Sprenkle, Vekich and Wolfe.

House Staff:John Welsh (786-7133)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 6, 1990

BACKGROUND:

By law, therapeutically equivalent generic drugs in this state may be substituted for brand name drugs by a pharmacist with the authorization of a prescribing practitioner on a prescription form.  The practitioner may sign on either of two lines provided for this purpose identified as "DISPENSE AS WRITTEN" or "SUBSTITUTION PERMITTED."

A generic drug is a drug product of the identical chemical base or salt as the brand name drug intended to be dispensed to a patient for the same therapeutic effect.

There is no provision in existing law for authorizing the substitution of generic drugs on out-of-state prescription forms.

SUMMARY:

A pharmacist in this state may substitute a generic drug authorized by a practitioner in another state on a standard one-line prescription form unless the practitioner indicates otherwise.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 15, 1990.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Joan Gaumer and Robert Marotta, MEDCO; Don Williams, Washington State Board of Pharmacy; Gary Moore, Washington Federation of State Employees; Margaret Stanley, Health Care Authority and State Employees Benefits Board; Lars Hennum, Pharmacists of Washington.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Existing law does not expressly authorize a Washington pharmacist to substitute a generic drug on an out-of-state one- line prescription form issued by a prescribing practitioner. Approximately one-half of the states use a one-line prescription form or a variation of it, including Oregon, Alaska, and California. The ability to substitute less expensive generic drugs for brand name drugs will contain health care costs, especially for senior citizens who consume about twice as many prescriptions as patients under 65.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.