Governor gets bill ensuring prescription eye drop refills

INDIANAPOLIS – Legislation sponsored by State Rep. Charlie Brown (D-Gary) that would ensure continued treatment for patients with eye and vision problems is moving forward to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence for final approval.

Members of the Indiana House unanimously passed Senate Bill 26 yesterday (Tue., March 17). It would provide patients, who prematurely run out of prescribed eye drops, with refills covered by certain insurance plans. Since House members offered no amendments to the legislation, it goes straight to the governor for his consideration.

“Many optic diseases and impairments are treated chronically with eye drop medications,” Brown said.

“This legislation ensures that people do not skip critical treatment simply because they spilled or lost some of their drops.

“It isn’t unusual for healthy, young patients to have trouble administering the drops—getting every single eye drop to hit the eye each time. For the elderly, or those with tremors, Parkinson’s, poor sight, or arthritis it can be virtually impossible,” he added.

For a 30-day supply, refills would be permitted 25 days from the date the medication was last dispensed. For a 90-day supply, a refill would be allowed 75 days after the patient received the last prescription.

State Reps. Edward Clere (R-new Albany), Steven Davisson (R-Salem), and Dennis Zent (R-Angola) also sponsored SB 26. If the measure becomes law, it would take effect January 2016.