HB 527 amends Utah's pharmacy pricing rules to require pharmacy benefit managers to base reimbursement rates only on drugs rated "A" or "B" in the FDA's Orange Book (or similar ratings) that are not obsolete and generally available in the state. It clarifies key terms like "maximum allowable cost" and "rebate," and grants the Insurance Department authority to create implementing rules. This directly affects pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, and insurers by changing how drug reimbursement rates are calculated. The bill does not appropriate funds or create new taxes.
SB 261 amends Utah's pharmacy laws to expand pharmacists' roles and improve oversight. It allows pharmacists to prescribe vaccines and epinephrine directly, increases patient access to these services, and permits online sales of pseudoephedrine under specific safeguards. The bill also requires an electronic tracking system for pseudoephedrine sales to prevent diversion, managed by the Division of Professional Licensing and the Board of Pharmacy. These changes primarily affect pharmacists, patients seeking vaccinations or epinephrine, and retailers selling pseudoephedrine. The bill makes no changes to funding or existing pharmacy licensing structures.
This concurrent resolution directs Utah's Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program (PEHP) to add hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatments for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms to its drug formulary. It specifically affects state employees covered by PEHP health plans, requiring the program to include these treatments in its approved medications. The resolution does not address "black box" warnings but mandates PEHP to cover HRT for symptom relief. As a procedural directive, it guides an agency's existing policy without creating new law.
This bill directs Utah's Public Employees' Benefit Insurance Program (PEHP) to create a new "Weight Management and Obesity Pilot Program" starting in 2026. It combines PEHP's existing bariatric surgery pilot with an alternative option for covered state employees to receive GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic) instead of surgery, while staying within the existing $1.05 million annual budget. Key provisions include requiring 50% member cost-sharing, capping monthly pharmacy expenses at $300, limiting coverage to 24 months, and applying the same health coaching requirements to both options. The program allows eligible members (with BMI over 40 or 35+ with health conditions) to choose once between surgery or GLP-1 treatment, with annual reports to lawmakers.
HB 356 clarifies Utah's rules for the federal 340B drug discount program, which provides discounted medications to eligible healthcare organizations. It defines key terms like "340B covered entity" (e.g., hospitals or clinics participating in the federal program) and prohibits drug manufacturers from restricting contracts between pharmacies and these entities or requiring excessive data sharing beyond federal requirements. The bill directly affects 340B-covered entities, pharmacies, and drug manufacturers by ensuring they cannot interfere with program participation or impose unnecessary conditions. It makes technical updates to Utah law without new funding, aligning state rules with federal program standards.
HB 264 modifies Utah's prescription medication rules to streamline pharmacy operations. It removes the requirement for pharmacies to notify providers when substituting medications (as authorized by the prescription), allows prescription refills to remain valid for two years, and establishes new rules for standing prescriptions issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Standing prescriptions must be limited to specific conditions, FDA-approved diagnoses, and clinically appropriate treatments. These changes primarily affect pharmacies, patients receiving refills, and healthcare providers who write prescriptions.
This bill creates a Cannabis Production Establishment and Pharmacy Licensing Advisory Board to oversee medical cannabis pharmacy licensing in Utah. The board, composed of eight to nine members with strict conflict-of-interest rules (e.g., no industry ties), reviews license applications and location changes. Key provisions require the board to consider geographic access, patient cost efficiency, and medical cannabis availability when approving pharmacy location shifts. It directly affects medical cannabis pharmacies seeking new locations or operational changes, ensuring decisions align with public health and geographic distribution goals. The bill amends Utah code sections governing licensing procedures but does not appropriate funds or change patient eligibility.
HB 97, titled "Medical Waste Amendments" (though it addresses medication distribution, not waste), requires health facilities like hospitals, urgent care centers, and surgical facilities to offer unused portions of specific medications to patients upon discharge if continued treatment is needed. The bill covers topical antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, dilation drops, or glaucoma treatments provided during procedures or visits. It mandates that these medications be labeled per pharmacy laws and requires prescribers to counsel patients on proper use, while exempting them from standard pharmacy counseling rules. This applies directly to patients receiving facility-provided medications during care, effective May 6, 2026.
