ANALYSIS OF HOUSE BILL 1702

       Creating the medicaid trial prescription program.

Health Care Committee                         February 26, 1999

Washington State House of Representatives

SPONSORS:  Representatives Parlette and Conway.

BACKGROUND:  The state Medical Assistance program is a collaborative program with the federal Medicaid Program for providing health care services to eligible low-income persons.  Prescription drugs are included in the services provided by the program.

SUMMARY:  The Department of Social & Health Services is required to establish a trial presciption program for reducing drug costs.

Under the trial program, the department directs pharmacists to dispense a limited number of doses of an initial prescription of the drug.  Exceptions would be made for undue hardship on a patient in returning the balance of the prescription.

Prescribing practitioners and pharmacists are to be informed of the program parameters in order to collaborate in its implementation.

The drugs to be included in the program are determined by the department in consultation with its Drug Utilization Review Committee.