PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE PASSES ONE-LINE Rx FORM BILL

Executive Summary

PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE PASSES ONE-LINE Rx FORM BILL, which was forwarded on Dec. 1 to Governor Casey for signature. The state legislation requires prescribers who wish to block generic substitution to write "brand necessary" or "brand medically necessary" on prescription forms. Pennsylvania's previous generic substitution law provided for a two-line form; prescribers signed on the left line to block substitution. The legislation reportedly had the support of the governor. The bill was adopted by the Senate by a 47-2 vote on Nov. 29 and by the House with a 185-6 margin on Nov. 30. The measure will become state law regardless of whether Casey signs it within a 30-day limit. Among minor amendments that distinguish the final bill from a version passed by the House of Representatives in April, one change delays the effective date from 60 days after enactment to July 1, 1989. Estimates of the potential savings for the state's PACE elderly assistance program because of the bill range from $30 mil. to $60 mil. per year. More than two dozen states now have generic substitution laws providing for a one-line prescription form.