Bill > H0365

This bill allows Class II institutional pharmacies, which are pharmacies within hospitals or similar facilities, to include biologics, biosimilars, and biosimilar interchangeables in their approved drug lists, known as formularies. A biologic is a drug made from living organisms, while a biosimilar is a highly similar version of an already approved biologic. A biosimilar interchangeable means that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the biosimilar can be expected to have the same clinical result as the original biologic and can be switched back and forth. The bill outlines requirements for pharmacists when dispensing a biosimilar interchangeable product, including ensuring the FDA has approved it as interchangeable, checking if the prescribing doctor has specifically prohibited substitution, and notifying the patient of the substitution. For pharmacists in Class II or modified Class II institutional pharmacies, this notification must be recorded in the institution's medical records. Additionally, the Board of Pharmacy will be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date public list of all FDA-approved interchangeable biosimilar products.