ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
CORRECTED
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 Department of Health
Services (DHS) estimates the cost of this legislation to be $94,000.
1. Establishes 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 create and implement a prescription
drug assistance program.
c.
develop
a network of drug management and purchasing assistance services that includes a
list of discount programs, consumer education information, outreach services
and emergency prescriptions for crisis situations.
d.
identify
funding sources.
e.
submit
an annual report on the progress of the Council 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. Requires DHS to provide administrative support to the Council.
5. Specifies DHS is not responsible for the implementation and administration of the drug assistance program.
6. Repeals the Council on August 31, 2004.
7. Provides for a general effective date.
HEA 1/21/02 DP 9-0-0-1
3rd Read 2/4/02 56-2-2-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
March 25, 2002