2023 IPA Legislative Recap

• By: IPA
• On: 05/15/2023 12:29:27
• In: Advocacy
• Comments: 0

On Thursday, May 4, Iowa legislators gaveled out for the 2023 Iowa Legislative Session. The session was busy and exceedingly unique, as Republicans held a strong majority in the House of Representatives and a supermajority in the Senate.

IPA's Advocacy Team monitored more than 78 individual bills this session on a wide range of topics that impact IPA members and healthcare. When needed, IPA's grassroots network showed up in force, and on short notice, to advocate for the Pharmacy Practice Act bill and other measures impacting the profession. Legislators noted pharmacy's passion and willingness to provide impactful insight. Thank you to our grassroots!

IPA's 2023 Legislative Priorities:

• IPA's Pharmacy Practice Act bill (HF 555) stayed in contention until the very end of the session, passing the House of Representatives with bipartisan support (86-10) and making it through the Senate Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee unanimously. The substance of the bill remains almost fully intact and will resume in the Senate HHS Committee in 2024. The last Pharmacy Practice Act reform bill took four years to pass, so we are well-positioned for next year!
• A 340B nondiscrimination bill (HF 423) providing for state-level protections passed both chambers and was signed into law by the Governor. The bill prohibits health plans and PBMs from discriminating against a covered entity or contract pharmacy for participation in a 340B program including contracting, patient provider choice, imposing restrictions, or reduced payment. The bill also prohibits the imposition of certain contract requirements on such covered entities, contract pharmacies and pharmacies that participate in the 340B drug program.

Additional Legislative Wins:

• Bills that would limit a pharmacist's professional autonomy by imposing penalties for dispensing certain FDA-approved medications, such as abortion-inducing drugs, did not advance.
• Governor Kim Reynold's legislative priorities included provisions expanding access to opioid antagonists. The bill allows pharmacists to dispense opioid antagonists to secondary distributors, such as law enforcement, EMS, health care providers, schools, and county health departments. It also amends SWPs to allow a pharmacist to administer opioid antagonists, instead of only naloxone.

Next Steps for IPA:

• Explore avenues for funding the Medicaid cost of dispensing increase with stakeholders, legislators, and the executive branch.
• Educate legislators and advocate for the Pharmacy Practice Act in the off-season.
• Expand resources for members to submit PBM complaints and data to the Iowa Insurance Division. Continue working with IID and legislators to determine the best strategy for additional PBM regulation and enforcement.