ASBM supports the measures in California Senate Bill 598 designating that a pharmacist filling a prescription order for a prescribed biological product may select a biosimilar only if all of the following conditions are met:
- The product selected as a biosimilar has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been determined to be interchangeable with the prescribed biological product.
- The prescriber does not personally indicate, either orally or in his or her own handwriting, “Do not substitute,” or words of similar meaning.
- The pharmacist notifies the prescriber or enters the appropriate information in a patient record system shared by the prescriber within five business days of the selection.
- The pharmacy retains a written record of the biosimilar selection for a period of at least three years.
Read the ASBM letter here.
Read the ICAN letter here.
Read the HealthHIV letter here.
Read the CCA letter here.
Read the GHLF letter here.
