Drug bill advocates push for meeting; PHRMA wants time

By Phil Kabler
Staff writer

Gov. Bob Wise’s newfound reluctance to call a special session on prescription drug costs this fall has advocates of the Pharmaceutical Affordability and Availability Act worried.

“I think it is important that this be dealt with now, with the present governor who strongly supports it, and has supported it from the beginning,” said Delegate Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, one of the authors of the legislation intended to curb soaring prescription drug costs.

When the bill passed in March, Wise said he would call the Legislature into special session before the November elections to take up the cost-saving proposals made by the state Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council.

That 11-member panel has a Sept. 15 deadline to complete a series of cost-control recommendations.

On Tuesday, however, Wise said prospects for a special session this fall are, at best, a possibility.

Wise said lawmakers will need time to digest what is likely to be a “pretty complex” plan for cutting drug costs, and said he does not know if there will be a special session before the end of the year.

Foster said he believes it is important that the Legislature move forward this year with the potentially landmark legislation.

“I think it’s important that West Virginia not lose this opportunity of showing how it can be a leader on this issue of vital importance to every state in the country,” he said.

Phil Reale, state lobbyist for the national drug industry lobby, PHRMA, said Thursday he agrees with Wise that lawmakers will need time to thoroughly study the recommendations of the council.

“I think the governor and I think the folks at HHR [Health and Human Resources] see the need to scope out the details,” Reale said. “Just to pass something for the sake of passing something is a bad idea.”

He said the Legislature needs to analyze the benefits, costs and ramifications of each of the recommendations the council will make.

“There’s a lot of good ideas that have been talked about and debated by the council, but to get to the details is going to take some time,” he said. “The council has worked hard and has suggested a number of ideas, but there are details that need to be fleshed out.”

Shana Phares, deputy secretary of Health and Human Resources and chairwoman of the drug council, said the council will complete its recommendations by Sept. 15 as mandated.

She said she believes council members don’t want to see the process lose momentum, but said the decision on when to take up the recommendations rests with the governor and legislative leadership.

Phares said it’s hard to say whether waiting until the 2005 regular session would help or hurt prospects for enacting the cost-saving recommendations.

“I think it’s a crapshoot. I think things are going to be very different in January than they are now,” she said.

Foster said he’s hopeful the governor and legislators can be persuaded to act on the recommendations this fall.

“I hope there will be significant communication within the next few weeks between the current governor and the legislative leadership,” he said.

To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, use e-mail or call 348-1220.