Prescription Drugs
The Legislature enrolled AB 2583 by Assembly member Joe Nation (D-San Rafael), and the measure will be sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) (Bill status, 8/17). The bill would require pharmacies to include on posted consumer notices a statement describing patients' rights regarding access to prescription drugs and devices. The measure would amend existing law that requires notices to be posted in pharmacies that include information on the availability of drug price information and generic drug substitutions (Bill text, 4/27).
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 8-5 to approve AB 2911 by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) (Bill status, 8/17). The bill would require the Department of Health Services to negotiate discounts with drug manufacturers and pursue rebates for drugs. Any licensed pharmacy or drug manufacturer could participate in the program. The measure would require the department to establish rules of eligibility and create a fund into which rebates and other funds from the program would be deposited (Bill text, 5/2). The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 13-5 to pass the Senate version of the bill, SB 1702 by Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata (D-Oakland) (Bill status, 8/17).
The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 13-5 to pass SB 452 by Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Van Nuys) (Bill status, 8/17). The legislation would require DHS to submit an annual report comparing the lowest price paid for medications on a federal drug formulary with the prices on the Medi-Cal and AIDS Drug Assistance Program formularies. Under the measure, the governor would have to decide whether to seek additional rebates from drug manufacturers to the level of the lowest published drug prices. The bill would make the report confidential (Bill text, 8/7).