Vetoed by Governor Tom Wolf

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires a prescription drug "formulary" for injured employees in the state workers compensation program.

Highlights:

• Requires the Department of Labor and Industry to select a nationally recognized, evidence-based prescription drug formulary appropriate for resolving issues related to drugs prescribed for or related to the treatment of work-related injuries, including, but not limited to the type, dosage and duration of prescriptions (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to consider the following factors when selecting a nationally recognized, evidence-passed prescription drug formulary for adoption (Sec. 1):

• Whether the formulary focuses on medical treatment specific to workers’ compensation;

• Whether the basis for the formulary is readily apparent and publicly available;

• Whether the formulary includes measures to aid in management of opioid medications;

• Whether the formulary appropriately limits both duration and dosage of prescriptions; and

• The cost of implementation of the formulary.

• Requires the department to annually review updates issued by the formulary publisher to the selected formulary (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to solicit public comments regarding the updates proposed for adoption by publishing a notice of the proposed updates and a public comment period by November 1st of each year on the Pennsylvania Bulletin (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to ensure that the current prescription drug formulary is available through its publicly accessible internet website for reference by physicians and the general public (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to assign a request for utilization request for utilization review to a utilization review organization at random (Sec. 1).

• Requires the utilization review organization to issue a written report of its findings and conclusions within the time frame required by the nationally recognized accreditation standards adopted by the department and requires the report to be issued within 30 days after the receipt of a request (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to approve only those utilization review organizations that it determines have obtained certification or accreditation by a nationally recognized organization with certification or accreditation standards appropriate for resolving utilization issues for workers’ compensation programs, with the following applying(Sec. 1).

• Requires  that the department publishes a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin of the specific nationally recognized certification or accreditation that will be required in order to be approved as a utilization review organization within 30 days of the effective date the department will publish a notice (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires a prescription drug "formulary" for injured employees in the state workers compensation program.

Highlights:

• Requires the Department of Labor and Industry to select a nationally recognized, evidence-based prescription drug formulary appropriate for resolving issues related to drugs prescribed for or related to the treatment of work-related injuries, including, but not limited to the type, dosage and duration of prescriptions (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to consider the following factors when selecting a nationally recognized, evidence-passed prescription drug formulary for adoption (Sec. 1):

• Whether the formulary focuses on medical treatment specific to workers’ compensation;

• Whether the basis for the formulary is readily apparent and publicly available;

• Whether the formulary includes measures to aid in management of opioid medications;

• Whether the formulary appropriately limits both duration and dosage of prescriptions; and

• The cost of implementation of the formulary.

• Requires the department to annually review updates issued by the formulary publisher to the selected formulary (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to solicit public comments regarding the updates proposed for adoption by publishing a notice of the proposed updates and a public comment period by November 1st of each year on the Pennsylvania Bulletin (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to ensure that the current prescription drug formulary is available through its publicly accessible internet website for reference by physicians and the general public (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to assign a request for utilization request for utilization review to a utilization review organization at random (Sec. 1).

• Requires the utilization review organization to issue a written report of its findings and conclusions within the time frame required by the nationally recognized accreditation standards adopted by the department and requires the report to be issued within 30 days after the receipt of a request (Sec. 1).

• Requires the department to approve only those utilization review organizations that it determines have obtained certification or accreditation by a nationally recognized organization with certification or accreditation standards appropriate for resolving utilization issues for workers’ compensation programs, with the following applying(Sec. 1).

• Requires  that the department publishes a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin of the specific nationally recognized certification or accreditation that will be required in order to be approved as a utilization review organization within 30 days of the effective date the department will publish a notice (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text