Bill > S1188

This bill aims to reduce healthcare costs by creating an evidence-based education program for healthcare professionals who prescribe medications. The program, developed by the department of public health, will consult with various stakeholders like doctors, pharmacists, insurers, and the MassHealth drug utilization review board to ensure it's effective and cost-conscious. It will involve face-to-face visits with prescribers, using scientifically supported materials and behavioral science techniques to inform them about therapeutically equivalent and cost-effective drug alternatives. The program will reach out to prescribers involved in public health programs like MassHealth, as well as academic medical centers and other healthcare providers. The department will also look to incorporate successful existing educational models and will work with MassHealth to access prescription data to monitor the program's impact. Funding for this initiative will come from fees charged to pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as potential grants and settlement funds, with a portion set aside for program evaluation. The department is required to establish regulations for this program within six months of the bill's passage.