Summary of the Report of

The House Interim Committee on Access to

Affordable Prescription Drugs for Senior Citizens

Representative Mark Abel, Co-Chair

Representative Joan Barry, Co-Chair

December, 2000

The House Interim Committee recognizes that the need for public assistance to seniors with the costs of prescription drugs is imperative. The drain on the state's Medicaid budget from pharmaceutical expenditures is reaching crisis proportions, and many elderly residents are struggling to afford the medications that add years and quality to their lives. Seniors who do without needed medications or in the dosages prescribed because of the costs often face expensive hospitalizations, costly medical procedures, or institutionalization. The Committee also recognizes that there are limited financial resources available to the state by which to fund comprehensive prescription drug assistance programs are not promising. With these realities in mind the House Interim Committee makes the following recommendations:

• •Target any state prescription drug assistance efforts to the neediest of the state's elderly residents, and incrementally phase-in those with higher incomes;
• •Consider the benefits of pursuing a Medicaid waiver to allow additional numbers of elderly to qualify for prescription drug benefits only and with co-payments;
• •Institute changes in the state oversight of nursing homes so there is comprehensive monitoring of prescription drug usage in state licensed nursing homes;
• •Consider strategies the state can adopt to encourage the availability, marketing and usage of generic drug equivalents;
• •Encourage discussions with health care providers about expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists to include reviewing patients' medication usage and making recommendations about substituting less costly generic equivalents;
• •Formalize a review of pharmaceutical use practices with regards to the methods of filling lost or stolen Medicaid prescriptions and billing practices for medications paid for through public programs;
• •Consider the feasibility of authorizing and compensating community pharmacists for utilization reviews of Medicaid prescription drug usage, as an alternative to contracting with a Pharmacy Benefit Manager, as proposed by the Division of Medical Services;
• •Develop simplified methods for assisting seniors and those with high prescription drug expenses in accessing prescription drug assistance programs; and
• •Eliminate or revise the existing $200 pharmaceutical tax credit, and redirect any cost savings to the neediest seniors and to funding a meaningful prescription drug benefit program for seniors in the state.