Committee hears hours of testimony on 'white bagging' and 'brown bagging' for clinician‑administered drugs; amendment prepared

Summary

Senate Bill 256 — aimed at curbing 'white bagging' and 'brown bagging' practices that can route clinician‑administered specialty drugs outside normal provider procurement — drew extensive testimony on patient safety, hospital pharmacy burden and costs; negotiators said a replacement amendment would be circulated for further review.

Senate Bill 256 — a bill to regulate so-called “white bagging” and “brown bagging” of clinician‑administered specialty drugs — drew extended testimony from hospitals, pharmacists, patient advocates, insurers and small‑business groups at the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Sponsor Senator Tim McHugh framed the bill as a patient‑safety and cost‑control measure designed to prevent specialty infusion drugs (for example, chemotherapy and other biologic infusions) from being shipped directly to patients’ homes (brown bagging) or directly to sites of care without provider involvement (white bagging). “We don’t want the health plan or some arbitrary disconnected pharmacy contractor to drop a shipment of a critical infusion drug at your house without you knowing it’s coming,” McHugh said. He described an…

Committee hears hours of testimony on 'white bagging' and 'brown bagging' for clinician‑administered drugs; amendment prepared

Summary

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