SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3802

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 10, 2021

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3802.

      This bill makes the retail price of opioid antidotes readily available to consumers by including this information in the “New Jersey Prescription Drug Retail Price Registry” (NJPDRPR).

      The NJPDRPR was established for the purpose of making up-to-date retail price information for the 150 most frequently prescribed prescription drugs in the State readily available to consumers. It requires the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, in consultation with the Commissioners of Human Services and Health, to obtain retail price information for certain prescription drugs, which indicates the actual price to be paid to the pharmacy by a retail purchaser, and to make that information available on the internet and by means of a toll-free telephone service.  The registry is organized in a format to allow consumers to compare prescription drug retail prices charged by pharmacies in each zip code within the State.

      This bill includes opioid antidotes on the list of frequently prescribed prescription drugs.

      Under current law, the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs is required to annually make available to each pharmacy practice site in this State a list of the 150 most frequently prescribed prescription drugs.  In addition, each pharmacy is required to maintain a prescription drug retail price list, which includes the names of the drugs included on the NJPDRPR, the retail price for each drug on the list provided by the Division of Consumer Affairs, and the retail price for each drug on the list charged at that pharmacy practice site.  The pharmacy is required to post a sign notifying customers of the availability of the prescription drug retail price list and to make the list available to customers upon request.

      This bill includes opioid antidotes on the list of prescription drugs provided to pharmacies and requires pharmacies to include opioid antidotes on its prescription drug retail price list available to customers.

      Under the bill, “opioid antidote” is defined as any drug, regardless of dosage amount or method of administration, which has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of an opioid overdose, and includes naloxone hydrochloride, commonly known as Narcan.

      As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 3802 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 5595, which was also reported by the committee on this date.