Support for Small Pharmacies in Multiple States, Support for 340B Program in RI & More

States Passing Laws to Aid Small Pharmacies

States including Colorado (HB 1094), Georgia (HB 196), Indiana (SB 140), Iowa (SB 383) and Montana (HB 740) have passed laws this year setting minimum prescription drug reimbursement rates for pharmacies. The laws are coming in response to complaints from independent pharmacies that contracts with pharmacy benefit managers aren’t covering their costs for obtaining medications. (PLURIBUS NEWS)

RI House Passes Bill to Protect Discount Drug Program

Rhode Island’s House passed a bill (HB 5634) that would prohibit health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers from lowering reimbursement rates, limiting access, or charging fees to entities participating in the federal 340B discount prescription drug program. Drug makers have lobbied against the measure, saying it will let more pharmacies take advantage of the program, even though it was initially created to aid hospitals in low-income areas. (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL)

NJ Targets AI-Based Mental Health Care

The New Jersey Assembly’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee advanced a bill (AB 5603) that would prohibit developers and deployers of artificial intelligence systems from “advertising or representing to the public” that their systems are capable of acting as licensed medical health professionals. Violations would be subject to fines of up to $10,000 for a first offense and $20,000 for subsequent offenses. (NEW JERSEY MONITOR)

U.S. Travel Restrictions Could Impact Hospital Care

Travel and visa restrictions imposed by the Trump administration are threatening patient care at hundreds of hospitals that rely on foreign medical residents, according to Kimberly Pierce Burke, executive director of the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers. Burke said senior medical residents leave hospitals in June, and if international medical school graduates are unable to start their residencies on July 1, there will be “a hole in the patient care team.” (NEW YORK TIMES)

—Compiled by SNCJ Managing Editor KOREY CLARK

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