5024
. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that:
(1) State costs for purchasing drugs and medical supplies for the
health care of offenders in state custody have grown rapidly in
recent years and will amount to almost seventy-five million dollars
($75,000,000) annually in the 1999-2000 fiscal year.
(2) The California State Auditor's Office found in a January 2000
audit report that the state could save millions of dollars annually
by improving its current processes for the procurement of drugs for
inmate health care and by pursuing alternative procurement methods.
(3) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, in cooperation with the Department of
General Services and other appropriate state agencies, take prompt
action to adopt cost-effective reforms in its drug and medical supply
procurement processes by establishing a program to obtain rebates
from drug manufacturers, implementing alternative contracting and
procurement reforms, or by some combination of these steps.
(b) (1) The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter
3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title
2 of the Government Code) may adopt regulations requiring
manufacturers of drugs to pay the department a rebate for the
purchase of drugs for offenders in state custody that is at least
equal to the rebate that would be applicable to the drug under
Section 1927(c) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec.
1396r-8(c)). Any such regulation shall, at a minimum, specify the
procedures for notifying drug manufacturers of the rebate
requirements and for collecting rebate payments.
(2) If a rebate program is implemented, the secretary shall
develop, maintain, and update as necessary a list of drugs to be
provided under the rebate program, and establish a rate structure for
reimbursement of each drug included in the rebate program. Rates
shall not be less than the actual cost of the drug. However, the
secretary may purchase a listed drug directly from the manufacturer
and negotiate the most favorable bulk price for that drug. In order
to minimize state administrative costs and maximize state benefits
for the rebate program, the secretary may establish a program that
focuses upon obtaining rebates for those drugs that it determines are
purchased by the department in relatively large volumes.
(3) If a rebate program is implemented, the department shall
submit an invoice, not less than two times per year, to each
manufacturer for the amount of the rebate required by this
subdivision. Drugs may be removed from the list for failure to pay
the rebate required by this subdivision, unless the department
determines that purchase of the drug is a medical necessity or that
purchase of the drug is necessary to comply with a court order to
ensure the appropriate provision of quality health care to offenders
in state custody.
(4) In order to minimize state administrative costs and maximize
state benefits for such a rebate program, if one is implemented, the
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may enter into
interagency agreements with the Department of General Services, the
State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of
State Hospitals, or the State Department of Developmental Services,
the University of California, another appropriate state department,
or with more than one of those entities, for joint participation in a
rebate program, collection and monitoring of necessary drug price
and rebate data, the billing of manufacturers for rebates, the
resolution of any disputes over rebates, and any other services
necessary for the cost-effective operation of the rebate program.
(5) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, separately
or in cooperation with other state agencies, may contract for the
services of a pharmaceutical benefits manager for any services
necessary for the cost-effective operation of the rebate program, if
one is implemented, or for other services to improve the contracting
and procurement of drugs and medical supplies for inmate health care.
(c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the department, as an
alternative to or in addition to establishing a rebate program for
drugs for inmate health care, from implementing, in cooperation with
the Department of General Services and other appropriate state
agencies, other cost-effective strategies for procurement of drugs
and medical supplies for offenders in state custody, including, but
not limited to:
(1) Improvements in the existing statewide master agreement
procedures for purchasing contract and noncontract drugs at a
discount from drug manufacturers.
(2) Participation by offenders in state custody infected with
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), in the AIDS Drug Assistance
Program.
(3) Membership in the Minnesota Multistate Contracting Alliance
for Pharmacy (MMCAP) or other cooperative purchasing arrangements
with other governmental entities.
(4) Greater centralization or standardization of procurement of
drugs and medical supplies among individual prisons in the Department
of Corrections and Rehabilitation prison system.
(d) The California State Auditor's Office shall report to the
Legislature and the Governor by January 10, 2002, its findings in
regard to:
(1) An evaluation of the trends in state costs for the procurement
of drugs and medical supplies for offenders in state custody, and an
assessment of the major factors affecting those trends.
(2) A summary of the steps taken by the Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation, the Department of General Services, and other
appropriate state agencies to implement this section.
(3) An evaluation of the compliance by these state agencies with
the findings and recommendations of the January 2000 California State
Auditor's Office report for reform of procurement of drugs and
medical supplies for offenders in state custody.
(4) Any further recommendations of the California State Auditor's
Office for reform of state drug procurement practices, policies, or
statutes.