Friday Policy Updates 2/2/2018

As things continue to be active and heat up over at the Colorado State Capitol, this week the Colorado BioScience Association took formal positions on three bills, while continuing to evaluate and make recommendations on legislation being introduced. Outlined below are further details – and encouragement to reach out to CBSA for your perspective. 

CBSA SUPPORTS

HB18-1135: Extend Advanced Industry Export Acceleration Program

The bill would extend the advanced industries export acceleration program that is currently managed by the office of economic development.

Next week CBSA, our members, and Advanced Industry partners plan to testify in support of HB18-1135. If you have any questions about the bill, testimony or have any information you’d like us to be sure we include in our testimony please contact CBSA vice president, Jennifer Jones.

CBSA OPPOSES

SB18 – 080: Wholesale Canadian Drug Importation Program

On behalf of our members, CBSA testified at the Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee in opposition to SB18-080, which would require the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to design a program to import prescription pharmaceuticals from Canada for sale to Colorado consumers. The program outlined in SB18-080 would threaten patient safety, impact innovation, and should be regulated federally. Due to absent committee members (legislators) the committee will take action on the bill Monday. To read our full testimony click here.

HB18 – 1009: Diabetes Drug Pricing Transparency Act 2018

The bill requires drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers to submit annual reports to the state board regarding drugs used to treat diabetes that are subject to price increases of certain percentages. Additionally, it requires that nonprofit organizations advocating for patients with diabetes or funding diabetes medical research that receive contributions from certain diabetes drug manufacturers annually report those contributions.

To view CBSA’s fact sheet on this bill click here.

CBSA RECOMMENDS SUPPORTING

SB18-022 Clinical Practice For Opioid Prescribing

This is a bill that came out of the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee. The bill restricts the number of opioid pills that a health care practitioner, including physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and veterinarians, may prescribe for an initial prescription to a 7-day supply and one refill for a 7-day supply, with certain exceptions. The bill clarifies that a health care practitioner may electronically prescribe opioids.

CBSA RECOMMENDS OPPOSING

HB18-1128 Protections for Consumer Data Privacy

Except for conduct in compliance with applicable federal, state, or local law, the bill requires public and private entities in Colorado that maintain paper or electronic documents that contain personal identifying information to develop and maintain a written policy for the destruction and proper disposal of those documents.

GET INVOLVED

CBSA works every day to create an innovation-friendly business environment, to grow our state’s economy and enhance the ability of our industry in creating next generation treatments and cures for patients. It is essential during this legislative session that we all work together to tell our story.

To that end, if you’d like to get engaged or talk about your concerns, perspective and position on these bills, please contact CBSA vice president, Jennifer Jones

Categories: CBSA News