On September 30th, An op-ed appeared in the Detroit News, authored by Marcia Horn, President and CEO of the International Cancer Advocacy Network (ICAN), an ASBM Steering Committee member. Ms. Horn discusses how legislation permitting biosimilar substitution could help Michigan patients. Similar legislation has been passed in 25 states and Puerto Rico. A key provision of the legislation is a requirement for pharmacists to communicate in a timely manner which biologic- the originator product or the biosimilar- was dispensed to the patient. This allows an accurate patient record to be kept, and for the patient’s response to treatment to be accurately assessed by the physician.
ASBM Chairman Harry Gewanter MD, and Andrew Spiegel, executive director of the Global Colon Cancer Association; both testified Jan 19th, 2016 in support of HB 4812 in a Michigan Senate Health Committee hearing. The bill had passed the Michigan House of Representatives 101-5 in November 2015, but the provision requiring communication between pharmacist and physician was ultimately stripped from the Senate version.
Read ASBM’s letter of support for HB 4812 here.