ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
REVISED
Arizona prescription drug
advisory council
Establishes the Arizona
Prescription Drug Advisory Council (Council) as a clearing house for
information regarding prescription drug assistance programs.
According to the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, more than 50
pharmaceutical manufacturers operate prescription drug assistance programs that
provide medications free of charge to physicians whose patients might not
otherwise have access to necessary medicines.
Each manufacturer administers its own drug assistance program and
determines the eligibility criteria for its program. Many companies include means testing as a part of its eligibility
process.
Recently, a few
pharmaceutical manufacturers have established prescription drug card programs
for low-income Medicare eligible persons.
These programs allow participants to access some of the manufacturer’s
drugs at participating pharmacies for a flat fee or a specific discount off the
average wholesale price.
H.B. 2464 establishes the
Council as a clearing house for drug assistance program information, including
consumer education on prescription management, preliminary screening for
assistance programs, outreach services and emergency prescriptions for crisis
situations. The bill also conditions
the establishment of the Council on the availability of at least $100,000. The Department of Health Services (DHS)
estimates the cost of this legislation to be $94,000.
1. Establishes, subject to the availability of at least $100,000, the Council consisting of the following Governor-appointed members:
a.
two
representatives from the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
b.
two
representatives from the pharmacy industry.
c.
three
representatives of consumer interests.
d.
one
representative from a school of pharmacy.
2. Requires the Council to:
a.
select
a chairperson and vice-chairperson.
b.
develop
a nonprofit coalition of providers, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies,
pharmacy colleges and patient advocates to develop a network of drug management
services and drug purchasing assistance services that includes a list of
discount programs, consumer education information, outreach services and
emergency prescriptions for crisis situations.
c.
identify
funding sources.
d.
submit
an annual report on the progress of the Council and the nonprofit coalition to
the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of
the Senate by July 1 each year.
3. Specifies members are ineligible for compensation and reimbursement of expenses.
4. Allows DHS to accept gifts, grants and donations to provide administrative support to the Council.
5. Establishes the Arizona prescription drug advisory council fund consisting of gifts, grants and donations.
6. Specifies fund monies are nonreverting, nonlapsing and continuously appropriated.
7. Requires DHS to provide administrative support to the Council if there is at least $100,000 in the fund and conditions continuing support on the availability of monies.
8. Specifies DHS is not responsible for the implementation and administration of the drug assistance program.
9. Repeals the Council on August 31, 2004.
10. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1.
Allows
DHS to accept gifts and grants to cover the costs of providing administrative
support to the Board.
2.
Establishes
a fund for the deposit of the gifts and grants.
3.
Conditions
establishment of the Council on the availability of at least $100,000.
4.
Makes
clarifying, conforming and technical changes.
·
Conditions
the continuing administrative assistance to the Council by DHS the availability
of monies.
HEA 1/21/02 DP 9-0-0-1 HEA 3/26/02 DPA 5-1-2-0
3rd Read 2/4/02 56-2-2-0 3rd Read 4/10/02 25-4-1
Prepared by Senate Staff
April 17, 2002