On Tuesday, the Assembly Health Committe unanimously passed AB 2418 by Assemblymember Bonilla with a vote count of 19-0, which is intended to make it easier for pharmacists to help patients improve medication adherence. The bill, co-sponsored by CPhA, will improve patient health, lower costs, and make it easier for patients to take their medication as directed by their health care provider. Specifically, AB 2418 promotes medication adherence by allowing patients to opt out of mandatory mail order programs, streamlining the refill process to allow patients to pick up all prescriptions in one trip, and providing for early eye-drop refills when patients inadvertently spill.
"Community pharmacists are trusted partners to California patients, and medication adherence is higher when patients have a choice between mail order and going to their community pharmacy," said Jon Roth, CEO of the California Pharmacists Association. "By allowing patients to opt out of mandatory mail order programs and to pick up refills of all prescriptions in one trip, AB 2418 will help minimize confusion and ensure patient-centric access to prescription medication."
Most patients with chronic health conditions - and approximately eight out of ten patients with all conditions - rely on prescription medication for treatment, and most patients with chronic conditions take multiple prescription medications. As many as 75 percent of patients do not take their medications as prescribed due to the inconvenience of multiple trips, cost, and perceived ineffectiveness of therapy, among other reasons.
"Following your doctor's instructions on taking your medication is a critical component of being in good health," said Assemblywoman Bonilla (D-Concord). "AB 2418 creates processes that improve patients' access to medications and encourages interaction between patients, pharmacists and doctors to ensure patients receive medications in a timely, convenient manner."
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