Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nevada One Step Closer To Easing Rules On Birth Control Prescriptions
The Nevada state Senate on Monday voted unanimously in favor of a proposal to allow pharmacists to provide patients birth control without authorization from a doctor or health care provider with a traditional prescription pad. Senate Bill 190 proposes expanding the scope of services that pharmacists can provide to ensure people who cannot access doctor鈥檚 appointments because of costs or the state鈥檚 physician shortage can obtain hormonal contraceptives including pills, patches or rings directly from a pharmacy. (Metz, 4/20)
A new contractor has been hired as part of a state effort to introduce 鈥渁n unparalleled level of financial checks and balances鈥 to the $3.5 billion prescription benefit program with Ohio Medicaid. This follows years of controversy over how private companies manage billions in drug spending on behalf of the state. (Schroeder, 4/15)
Those calling for sweeping action to reduce prescription-drug prices in North Dakota saw mixed results this legislative session. One proposal was a price transparency bill. When a planned price hike exceeds 10% over one year or 40% over five years, the drug manufacturer would be required to explain why. The bill has cleared hurdles in both chambers and is expected to go to the governor. (Moen, 4/16)
Under current law, Tennessee patients can be required to use certain pharmacies to fill their prescriptions, but a bill in the state legislature could change that. On March 30, the House Insurance Subcommittee approved a bill to ban so-called patient steering and increase transparency and regulation of drug pricing. Davidson County resident Eben Cathey said his wife, who has ALS, recently was told she almost certainly would need to change pharmacies and potentially switch providers after enrolling in Medicare. (Ramlagen, 4/17)
People go to outlet malls because they can often save anywhere from 25% to 65% (Consumer Reports, Dec. 9, 2018). The average discount, according to CR, is 38%. The appeal is brand name quality at a lower price. Most people don鈥檛 realize that they can get a similar value for their prescription medicines if they seek authorized generic (AG) drugs. This option is rarely mentioned by pharmacists, physicians or insurance companies, but it can represent huge savings for brand-name quality. (Graedon and Graedon, 4/18)
