The bill aims to reduce prescription drug costs by enhancing access to biosimilar medicines, which are approved under the same FDA standards as their reference drugs. It introduces a new section that emphasizes the importance of eliminating barriers to accessing these cost-effective alternatives. The bill amends several existing laws, including RCW 48.43.420, to ensure that health plans provide a clear and accessible process for patients and healthcare providers to request exceptions to prescription drug utilization management. This includes requirements for health carriers to disclose criteria for exception requests and to grant them based on specific clinical conditions.

Additionally, the bill modifies RCW 69.41.120 and RCW 69.41.125 to allow pharmacists to substitute prescribed drugs with biosimilars or interchangeable biological products, provided that the substitution is in the patient's best financial interest. It mandates that pharmacists communicate the dispensed drug product to patients and retain records of the substitution. The legislation also clarifies that practitioners can indicate "do not substitute" on prescriptions, ensuring that patient safety and preferences are prioritized while promoting the use of more affordable biosimilar options.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 48.43.420, 41.05.410, 69.41.120, 18.64.245