Opinion

Pharmaceutical bill moves forward

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Missouri House Dist. No. 126

Building the 2017 budget bills are priority right now at the capitol as we are conducting hours of hearings from all Missouri government branches. The Appropriations Committee I serve on will soon hear testimony from the state offices ranging from the governor, attorney general, and treasurer to the judiciary. Following are summaries of some of the bills passed by the Mo. House to the Senate recently.

* (HB 1366 & 1878) Members of the Missouri House of Representatives gave near-unanimous approval to legislation that would proactively update Missouri's pharmaceutical laws to keep pace with the rapidly advancing technological developments available in health care. The goal of the bill is to give Missourians better, more affordable access to interchangeable biological products, which are similar in nature to the generic versions of traditional medications. These products are used in the treatment of chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and various forms of cancer.

Missouri law currently allows for the safe substitution of generic medications, but the law does not allow for the substitution of biological drug products. The legislation approved by the House would simply update Missouri's law to allow for the safe substitution of interchangeable biosimilar medications. It's a move that 20 states have already made to improve access to these affordable medications that have been proven to be safe by rigorous FDA testing.

Supporters of the bill said it would give Missourians access to the least expensive versions of the medications they need. They pointed out that approximately 40 biological medications are currently in development and that it is important to ensure Missourians will have access to these medications. They also noted the move would generate approximately $12 million in savings for the state.

* (HB 1562) The House also took time recently to give overwhelming approval to legislation designed to help stop the multi-billion dollar criminal industry of human trafficking. The legislation would expand the crime of sexual trafficking of a child to include the advertisement. Similar to the federal SAVE Act that is now law, the legislation would give law enforcement another tool to investigate and prosecute those who knowingly advertise the victims of sex trafficking. The city of St. Louis is one of the top 20 trafficking cities in the country according to the FBI. I have a short program presentation on this subject for groups interested in learning more.

* (HB 1658) The Missouri House of Representatives this week sent legislation to the Senate that would create the Show-Me Compassionate Medical Education Act. The bill is designed to raise awareness about the high rate of depression and suicide among medical students, and promote research on the issue.

It is a honor to serve on your behalf in the Missouri House of Representatives. Please contact me at Patricia.Pike@house.mo.gov or call 573-751-5388 for assistance on state issues, resolutions, district visits and Capitol tours.