Sponsors pitch new limits on telehealth prescribing for high‑risk medications

Sponsors of the Patient Protection Act told the Senate Health Committee the bill aims to reduce preventable harm by requiring in‑person exams before prescribing or mailing medications associated with a high rate of severe adverse outcomes.

Representative Matthews and Rep. Craig, joint sponsors, described the bill as narrowly targeted to medications that cause severe adverse events in more than 5 percent of users — for example, events such as death, organ failure, sepsis or hemorrhaging that require hospitalization — and said the Director of Health, in consultation with the superintendent of insurance and state medical and pharmacy boards, would keep a public list of drugs meeting that threshold.

Rep. Craig said the bill's drafters considered data sources and directed the committee's attention to insurance claims, patient reports and applicable FDA data. "We're looking at the greater of insurance claims, patient reports of severe adverse effects to health care professionals, and any applicable data available from the US FDA," he said.

Ranking member Sen. Beth Liston questioned whether the bill should rely on peer‑reviewed science or national drug‑surveillance systems rather than (or in addition to) claims databases. Committee members probed whether commonly used drug classes — including blood thinners, diabetes medications and certain psychiatric medications — might meet the bill's threshold and therefore be subject to an in‑person requirement, and sponsors said the in‑person check is intended for drugs with substantial severe‑outcome rates to ensure appropriate oversight.

Supporters argued the measure balances patient safety and telehealth access by limiting in‑person requirements to drugs with significant severe adverse‑event rates and by allowing follow‑up where appropriate. No committee vote on HB 324 was recorded during the hearing.