A new law is set to begin next month that is intended to help uninsured and low-income Missourians better access discounted prescription drugs near them, instead of being forced to drive further.
Gov. Mike Parson did not sign or veto Senate Bill 751 but will instead let it become law on its own. The legislation limits 340B drug contracts between Missouri hospitals, healthcare centers, and local pharmacies.
“That’s probably one of the bills that’s been the toughest to try to figure out what is really the best thing to do here. Not only for the two entities that I want to say has a huge interest in that bill, but what I’m looking at for every day is what’s it going to mean for the everyday citizen out there. And the other thing is, the truth of it is, the lack of transparency in the bill,” Parson told Missourinet.
Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla, said his bill prioritizes patient care and “reigns in Big Pharma.”
“This program has been important to the financial viability of many of our rural providers,” Brown told the Special Committee on Public Policy at a hearing this year about the bill. “In the past decade, 10 (Missouri) hospitals have closed and many others have operated a loss. My legislation can mean the difference between whether or not a hospital stays open or closes.”
The Missouri Pharmacy Association’s Jorgan Schlemeier said patients should be able to access these drugs at a local pharmacy.
“When people can’t access their medication, and then have to access the emergency room instead, we all pay for that. Giving people access to their medication is the most effective thing that we can do to help the health status of our state,” said Schlemeier.
On the opposing side, Drew Duncan, with drug company Pfizer, said it supports the 340B program, but said the federal program is not saving patients much money.
“Needy patients often see no benefit from the discounts provided by manufacturers under the 340B program because covered entities and their contract pharmacies often do not pass along those discounts to your constituents,” he said.
Kelly Gillespie, with the Missouri Biotechnology Association, also opposes the bill. He said the state has several drug manufacturers and thousands of employees that could be affected by this bill.
“When you’re tinkering in the private marketplace, and you are in some ways on this one, trying to decide if it’s appropriate to pick a winner or loser, and is the populist vote out there to go and take on larger pharma companies, make sure you get it right because you are impacting other Missourians,” he said.
The legislation is scheduled to begin on August 28.
For more information on Senate Bill 751, click here.
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