HF 1640

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:53am

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing an academic detailing program for prescription
drugs; allowing rulemaking; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 62U.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [62U.085] PRESCRIPTION DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Program design. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of health, in collaboration with
the Board of Pharmacy and the University of Minnesota Medical School, shall develop
an evidence-based prescription drug education program designed to provide information
and education on the therapeutic and cost-effective utilization of prescription drugs to
physicians, pharmacists, and other health care professionals authorized to prescribe and
dispense prescription drugs. The commissioner may contract for technical and clinical
support in the development and the administration of the program from entities conducting
independent research in the effectiveness of prescription drugs.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Program components. new text end

new text begin (a) The program must include outreach and
education components regarding the therapeutic and cost-effective utilization of
prescription drugs as provided in peer-reviewed scientific, medical, and academic research
publications. To the extent possible, the commissioner shall utilize or incorporate
information regarding clinical trials, pharmaceutical efficacy, adverse effects of drugs,
evidence-based treatment options, and drug marketing approaches that are intended to
circumvent competition from generic and therapeutically equivalent drugs, and shall
incorporate into the program other independent educational resources or models proven
effective in promoting high-quality, evidence-based, cost-effective information regarding
the effectiveness and safety of prescription drugs.
new text end

new text begin (b) Educational materials used by the program shall be based on a balanced and
comprehensive review of evidence that is accepted within the practice of medicine,
including scientific research that conforms to the generally accepted standards of
experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, with the purpose
of providing unbiased continuing education on the comparative efficacy, safety, and
cost-effectiveness of prescription drugs. The program may use materials that meet these
criteria developed by a medical school, an academic medical center, a school of pharmacy,
a medical society, a research institute, or another publicly sponsored prescriber education
service.
new text end

new text begin (c) The program shall include in-person outreach and education sessions for health
care professionals in their place of work that shall be facilitated by qualified clinician
educators.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner shall establish:
new text end

new text begin (1) minimum clinical and educational qualifications for clinician educators employed
by or under contract with the program;
new text end

new text begin (2) required training for educators; and
new text end

new text begin (3) a code of conduct governing the educators in their interactions with health
care professionals and conflict of interest guidelines for educators and others involved
in advising, developing, and administering the program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Program coverage. new text end

new text begin (a) The program must provide outreach and education
to physicians, pharmacists, and other health care professionals with prescribing and
dispensing authority who participate in, contract with, or are reimbursed by state health
care programs. The program may provide outreach and education to health care providers,
health plan companies, hospitals, employers, and other persons interested in utilizing the
program on a subscription or fee-paying basis. The commissioner may establish a fee and
any revenue collected shall be deposited in the general fund and appropriated for the
administration of the prescription drug education program.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of this section, "state health care programs" include the medical
assistance program, general assistance medical care program, the MinnesotaCare program,
health care programs funded by the Department of Corrections, and the state employee
group health insurance program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Annual report. new text end

new text begin By April 1of each year, beginning April 1, 2011, the
commissioner shall submit a report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over
health care on the operation of the program. The report must include information on the
outreach and education components of the program; revenues, expenditures, and balances;
and savings attributable to the program in state health care programs.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Rulemaking. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may adopt rules to implement the
program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Funding. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may seek grants and private funds from
nonprofit charitable foundations to fund the planning, development, and ongoing
operations of the program.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin (a) The Board of Pharmacy shall increase the licensing fee for drug manufacturers
required under Minnesota Statutes, sections 151.42 to 151.51, by $....... per year beginning
July 1, 2009.
new text end

new text begin (b) On July 1, 2009, and each year thereafter, the commissioner of finance shall
transfer $....... from the state government special revenue fund to the general fund.
new text end

new text begin (c) $....... is appropriated beginning in fiscal year 2010 from the general fund to
the commissioner of health for the prescription drug education program established in
Minnesota Statutes, section 62U.085.
new text end