The legislature is considering a bill, SB 5892, that would allow state program managers to alter a doctor’s prescription for patients covered by state-subsidized health programs when a cheaper substitute is available. The bill would also prolong patient suffering by requiring them to fail to respond to a state-prescribed drug before being allowed access to the medicine prescribed by their doctor.

If passed, the bill would repeal the “dispense as written” provision, an important safeguard protecting sensitive doctor/patient relationships which was included in major health care legislation signed by Governor Locke.

Read the full Legislative Memo here