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Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Pharmacy
 
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8/21/18  4:27 pm
Commenter: Julia Whiting, MD

patient and caregiver fees
 

The Board of Pharmacy has received over a half million dollars in application fees from potential pharmacies/dispensaries.  I propose substantial lowering of registry fees from patients and caregivers.  The burden is specifically very high on guardians of disabled adults, with a $50 fee proposed for the patient, plus each of the guardians.  The burden of paying for the medicine (currently not covered by insurance), paying for a doctor to certify the patient (not covered by insurance), in the setting of typically significant disease/disability is too burdensome for patients to additionally assume large costs associated with registration with Board of Pharmacy.  I propose, for disabled adults, that parents or guardians should be exempt from any registration fees (as they are for parents of children, before age 18).  I also propose waived fees for spouses or one or more family members of registered patients, as procurement/transport of this new class of medication is not without risk, and the logistics of obtaining this medication from just a few locations in the state, is already a large barrier to access, and need not be complicated by a fee for every registered caregiver.

CommentID: 66327