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SB-650 Cancer Medication Advisory Committee.(2019-2020)



Current Version: 07/08/19 - Amended Assembly

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SB650:v93#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  July 08, 2019
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 26, 2019
Amended  IN  Senate  April 30, 2019
Amended  IN  Senate  April 24, 2019
Amended  IN  Senate  April 11, 2019
Amended  IN  Senate  March 27, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 650

Introduced by Senator Rubio

February 22, 2019

An act to add and repeal Section 4014 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to pharmacy.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 650, as amended, Rubio. Cancer Medication Advisory Committee.
Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of pharmacy by the California State Board of Pharmacy, which that law establishes in the Department of Consumer Affairs. The board also administers and enforces the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Existing law authorizes a county to establish a voluntary drug repository and distribution program for the purpose of distributing surplus medications to persons in need of financial assistance to ensure access to necessary pharmaceutical therapies. Existing law requires a surplus medication collection and distribution intermediary, established for the purpose of facilitating the donation of medications to, or transfer of medications between, participating entities under the program, to be licensed by the board.
This bill would require the California State Board of Pharmacy to establish the Cancer Medication Advisory Committee for the purpose of identifying the best mechanism to enable the transfer of unused cancer medications to persons in need of financial assistance to ensure access to necessary pharmaceutical therapies. The bill would require the committee to be comprised composed of 8 9 specified members and would require members of the committee to serve without compensation. The bill would require the committee to research and recommend potential statutory changes to expand access to affordable or no-cost medications for cancer patients by, among other things, analyzing the effectiveness of those existing provisions of law that authorize a county to establish the voluntary drug repository and distribution program and determining necessary revisions, if any, to those provisions. The bill would require the committee to submit a report that includes specified information to the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Governor’s office, and the Legislature on or before January July 1, 2021. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2022.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 4014 is added to the Business and Professions Code, immediately following Section 4013, to read:

4014.
 (a) The board shall establish the Cancer Medication Advisory Committee for the purpose of identifying the best mechanism to enable the transfer of unused cancer medications to persons in need of financial assistance to ensure access to necessary pharmaceutical therapies.
(b) The Cancer Medication Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following:
(1) Two members of the board who shall be appointed by the board.
(2) Two board-certified physicians and surgeons that specialize in oncology and hematology who shall be appointed by the Governor.
(3) Two representatives from cancer patient advocacy organizations who shall be appointed by the Governor.
(4) One representative from a county that has established a voluntary drug repository and distribution program pursuant to Division 116 (commencing with Section 150200) of the Health and Safety Code who shall be appointed by the Governor.

(4)

(5) One member who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(5)

(6) One member who shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(c) The Cancer Medication Advisory Committee shall research and recommend potential statutory changes that will expand access to affordable or no-cost medications for cancer patients, including, but not limited to, by doing all of the following:
(1) Analyzing the effectiveness of Division 116 (commencing with Section 150200) of the Health and Safety Code, which authorizes counties to establish a voluntary drug repository and distribution program for the purpose of distributing surplus medications to persons in need of financial assistance to ensure access to necessary pharmaceutical therapies. This analysis should include a review of the barriers that counties face in creating and maintaining the programs authorized under Division 116 (commencing with Section 150200) of the Health and Safety Code.
(2) Determining necessary revisions, if any, to Division 116 (commencing with Section 150200) of the Health and Safety Code to meet the needs of patients statewide who need timely access to cancer medications.
(3) Evaluating, if appropriate, how other states that have operational drug repository programs function.
(4) Determining, if appropriate, how the programs authorized under Division 116 (commencing with Section 150200) of the Health and Safety Code can be expanded to allow cancer patients to return their unused and unneeded oral anticancer medications to their oncologist, who may then redistribute those medications to other cancer patients in need.
(d) Members of the Cancer Medication Advisory Committee shall serve without compensation.
(e) (1) The Cancer Medication Advisory Committee shall submit a report that includes the information specified in subdivision (c) to the board, the Governor’s office, and the Legislature on or before January July 1, 2021. Any reports submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2) The Cancer Medication Advisory Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity and statutory recommendations shall be subject to enactment by the Legislature.
(f) This section shall be repealed on January 1, 2022.