HB 1105 by Rep. Four Price (R), legislation that lowers the age to 3-years old and up for pharmacists, pharmacist interns and certified pharmacy technicians to administer all vaccines and immunizations without a patient specific prescription or medical order was voted favorably out of the House Public Health Committee on April 26th by a 7-4 vote.
Also in Texas, on April 25th, the House Human Services Committee held a hearing on HB 1293, Rep. Toni Rose’s (D) Medicaid rate floor bill that all pharmacy groups support, would require PBMs’ pharmacy reimbursement to at least cover the pharmacy costs. Committee members questioned Priscilla Parrilla with the Health and Humans Services Commission’s Vendor Drug Program about the concerning fiscal note, and requested VDP (Vendor Drug Program) provide the committee with more information on how that was calculated. The bill was left pending in the committee.
Also in Texas, on April 26th, the Senate Health and Human Services held a hearing on SB 1619 by Sen. Charles Perry (R), legislation supported by all pharmacy groups that would prohibit the Health and Human Services Commission’s Vendor Drug Program from including any discount price offered for the prescription drug, including a discount offered through a third-party discount card when defining the price of a prescription drug for purposes of determining the Usual and Customary (U&C) reimbursement rate for Medicaid. The bill was left pending in the committee.
The Senate Health and Human Services also took testimony on SB 1137 by Sen. Charles Schwertner (R), PBM ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) reform legislation being led by the Texas Pharmacy Association and the Texas Pharmacy Business Council that is supported by all pharmacy groups. The companion bill by Rep. Tom Oliverson (R), HB 2021, was heard in the House Insurance Committee on March 21st. Both bills were left pending in committee.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.