COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio bill would allow pharmacists to offer a generic and cheaper alternative to lifesaving EpiPens.
The Blade reports (https://bit.ly/2mCcSAi ) the bill introduced last week by state Rep. Derek Merrin would allow substitution only with the patient’s permission. Doctors still can insist on the brand-name EpiPen.
Merrin, a Republican, says he sees the bill as a national model, “free-market solution” to the Mylan (MY’-luhn) pricing issue.
Mylan Pharmaceuticals came under fire last year for gradually raising the retail price more than 400 percent to $600 for a two-pen pack.
State Sen. David Burke, a Republican and the only pharmacist in the General Assembly, says he knows of no instance where substitution of the drug, delivered through a different spring mechanism than used in the Mylan product, has caused harm.
___
Information from: The Blade, https://www.toledoblade.com/
Please read our comment policy before commenting.