Hundreds of bills will be introduced during the coming legislative session – among them is one that would give greater power to medical doctors in prescribing medications to their patients.

Tracey Joyce is the Legislative Assistant to Representative Bryan Stevenson (R-Webb City), who is sponsoring the legislation. Joyce experienced a problem over treatment of an ulcer. Her doctor prescribed an expensive brand name medication and the pharmacy benefit manager with her insurance company – Express Scripts – insisted a less expensive medication be given to her. But that medication did not work.

Joyce says the medical doctor must be allowed to override the wishes of the insurance company. Joyce’s health failed to improve to any great degree until she was allowed to obtain the medication she was prescribed.

A similar version of the 2009 bill cleared the House last year but got bogged down in the Senate and time ran out before differences in the language could be ironed out.

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