Prescription Drugs

SB 452 by Sen. Richard Alarcón (D-Van Nuys) was amended to require the Department of Health Services to submit to the governor an annual report comparing prescription drug prices for Medi-Cal and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program to the lowest published federal formulary. The amended bill would require the governor to decide whether to seek additional rebates and to include that decision in the annual proposed budget (Bill text, 6/19). The bill was rereferred to the Assembly Health Committee and a hearing was scheduled for June 27 (Bill status, 6/21).

AB 225 by Assembly member Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Montclair) was amended to require the Health and Human Services Agency, if necessary, to adopt emergency regulations to ensure that an exemption to current California law on nonmonetary compensation for health care providers is consistent with federal HHS regulations. The exemption allows health care organizations to receive nonmonetary compensation needed to receive and transmit electronic prescription information (Bill text, 6/15). The bill was rereferred to the Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee, and a hearing was scheduled for June 26 (Bill status, 6/15).

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