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Enabling tens of millions of Americans to get themselves speedily vaccinated against COVID-19 will be a huge logistics challenge. A new policy brief from the Mercatus Center, a think tank at George Mason University, argues that we could greatly accelerate the process by removing the complex state regulations that prevent pharmacists from administering vaccines...The...report recommends that state regulators relax age restrictions on pharmacist-administered vaccinations; issue statewide standing orders authorizing pharmacists to administer vaccines without requiring a physician-written prescription for each patient; and revise regulations, as Oregon has, to permit pharmacists to administer all of the vaccines recommended by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The latter recommendation "prevents lag in vaccine administration due to boards or legislatures having to approve individually named vaccines for pharmacist administration."...READ MORE

The Patient Protection Commission plans to submit two bill draft requests to the 2021 Legislature that would expand access to telehealth services in Nevada and establish a state medical claims database...The two measures, however, are relatively narrow in scope compared to the broad mandate Gov. Steve Sisolak gave the body last year to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the state’s health care system and propose changes to it...The more controversial of the two proposals from the commission, centered around health care cost transparency, was significantly scaled back during the Monday meeting to establish an all-payer claims database, a state database that includes aggregated medical, pharmacy and dental claims from all insurance companies in an effort to better understand what’s driving the costs of health care in the state, in addition to some other transparency provisions...READ MORE

The vast majority of drugs that make it to American shelves are produced abroad, sometimes in countries that lawmakers worry don't have the nation's best interests at heart. But where are exactly are those drugs produced and how reliant is the U.S. on foreign imports? A new bipartisan Senate bill aims to find out.,,"The coronavirus pandemic has made it painfully clear that we must take decisive action to rebuild our nation's medical manufacturing sector," Rubio said. "This bipartisan bill would ensure policymakers have the necessary information to address our supply chain vulnerabilities, the consequences of foreign investment in U.S. pharmaceuticals, and reduce our over-reliance on China for pharmaceuticals."...The bill would require the FTC and Treasury to produce its report one year after it passes into law...READ MORE

Drug manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers oppose Buy American policies as likely to reduce reliable supplies and raise product costs...Efforts to shift more production of pharmaceuticals and APIs to the United States as a strategy for reducing drug shortages and ensuring access to needed medicines...The recent $2-trillion COVID economic stimulus legislation...supports exploration of federal “Buy American” policies, ostensibly to reduce US dependence on drugs and medical products imported from overseas...READ MORE

Changing methods can be tough—that's why Amgen is sticking with its rat poison of choice...With a bill passed this week, California legislators and environmentalists cast a spotlight on the use of industrial rodent poisons that are killing off native wildlife. But local drugmaker Amgen wanted fewer restrictions on its rat-killing methods, leaving critics to suggest: Maybe try traps, instead?...Amgen finagled its way out of the bill—AB 1788, which passed the California Assembly earlier this week—which would have required the company to rethink its rat policy at a facility in Newbury Park. The complex backs up to a wildlife preserve frequented by cougars and other wildlife, according to the Acorn...In an emailed statement, Amgen said it worked to secure the exemption because it simply couldn't identify another method for sending rats to meet their maker—or one would meet the FDA's standard, at least...READ MORE

The state joins New York and Minnesota in providing COVID-19 vaccination access through pharmacy...New Hampshire has passed into law authorization for pharmacists to administer vaccinations for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)...once it becomes available...READ MORE

New York pharmacists can provide the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine when it becomes available, according to new legislation...The Community Pharmacy Association of New York State and NACDS praised the new law, based on legislation (S. 8182-A / A. 10508-A) that adds COVID-19 to the list of illnesses for which pharmacists can vaccinate...The legislation was...was signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo...“Now is the time to make sure that people will be able to get their COVID-19 vaccination as soon as it becomes available. It is essential that all states continue to remove barriers for pharmacies to help meet the needs of patients during this phase of the pandemic,”...READ MORE

California is poised to become the first state to develop its own line of generic drugs, targeting soaring drug prices and stepping into a fiercely competitive drug market dominated by deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies...The Democratic-controlled legislature overwhelmingly approved a measure...that would direct the state’s top health agency to partner with one or more drug companies by January to make or distribute a broad range of generic or biosimilar drugs — including the diabetes medicine insulin — that are cheaper than brand-name products...The bill, SB-852, also opens the door for California to make its own generic drugs in the future...READ MORE

Drug pricing legislation hasn’t gained any steam in Congress lately, but legislatures in dozens of states are chugging ahead...States nationwide are advancing bills focused on numerous topics, a new analysis from Deloitte found. Legislation to regulate pharmacy benefit managers is the most common... while many states have passed—or are considering—measures such as transparency requirements for price increases, importation, value-based contracting and more...Overall, Deloitte found that state legislation targeting drug price transparency and PBMs—not importation or other measures—is affecting companies the most right now...READ MORE

With the COVID-19 pandemic shining a spotlight on the global pharmaceutical supply chain, U.S. legislators have put forward a raft of legislation that would seek to "onshore" drug manufacturing at the expense of major producers abroad...Guess who's wary of that proposal? Big Pharma...the White House is reportedly working on a "Buy American" executive order that would require government agencies to purchase American-made medical products, and that order could eventually include pharmaceuticals...the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America...has pushed back against Congressional support for a supply chain shake-up...Manufacturing stateside would likely cost a princely sum compared with the cheaper wages and lower costs abroad, and would upset the balance of pharma's global supply chain..."While we support efforts to foster more manufacturing in the United States, moving all manufacturing here is impractical and likely not feasible," a PhRMA spokesperson said in an email. "Policymakers must take a long-term, more holistic look at global pharmaceutical manufacturing supply chains before jumping to rash proposals that may cause significant disruptions to the U.S. supply of medicines."...READ MORE