Bill > HB1725

This bill aims to increase access to biosimilar medicines, which are lower-cost alternatives to brand-name biologic drugs that have been approved by the FDA with the same standards of quality, safety, and efficacy. The bill makes several key changes to existing laws to reduce barriers to biosimilar use. It modifies regulations for health carriers' prescription drug utilization management, allowing pharmacists more flexibility to substitute biosimilar or interchangeable biological products when filling prescriptions, provided the substitution results in a lower out-of-pocket cost for patients. The bill also requires that when a pharmacist makes such a substitution, they must communicate the specific drug product to the patient and indicate its name on the prescription label. Additionally, the legislation requires health plans to consider increasing generic and biosimilar utilization and using evidence-based formularies. The overall intent is to make lower-cost biological medicine alternatives more accessible to patients by streamlining the process for pharmacists to substitute these drugs and by removing administrative barriers that might prevent patients from accessing more affordable treatment options.

Health and Social Services

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1725&Year=2025&Initiative=false