Breaking Advocacy News in Missouri – Senate Bill 875 Regarding Biosimilars has Been Signed Into Law!
Kyleigh O’Brien is an 11-year-old with juvenile arthritis and has testified in front of the Missouri legislature twice this year. Why does she do it?
She wants to be a voice for the estimated 300,000 children in the United States who live with arthritis. Kyleigh has advocated most recently for the passage of Missouri Senate Bill 875 (SB 875), which has now been signed into law by Governor Jay Nixon.
SB 875, includes provisions allowing for the substitution of biological medications with biosimilars, with documentation and notification to the patient and physician, and enhances patient access to new and potentially less costly medication. More importantly, it will ensure that pharmacists are communicating critical and up-to-date medical information to physicians.
[caption id="attachment_297" align="aligncenter" width="550"]
Kyleigh during a recent trip to the hospital for her infusion.[/caption]
Kyleigh and her family are no strangers to advocacy – for the past 3 years, they have attended the Arthritis Foundation’s Advocacy Summit in Washington DC. When they found out that legislation had been introduced a little closer to home, they jumped at the opportunity to be active throughout the entire process. Kyleigh even took and shared a video while receiving an infusion, asking Governor Nixon to sign SB 875. Kyleigh also testified with her brother, Brennan, in April before the House Health and Mental Health Committee.
The Missouri legislature took a very close look at biosimilar related legislation this past session and introduced biosimilar bills in both the House and Senate. Our legislative champions around biosimilar bills include Senator Kurt Schaefer (sponsor of SB 875), Representative Tila Hubrecht (sponsor of HB 1366) and Representative Sheila Solon (sponsor of HB 1878). We thank these Missouri legislators for their leadership on such an important issue.
View the entire April 2016 House Health and Mental Health Committee below:
We thank all of the Missouri advocates who contacted their legislators and Governor Nixon.
Would you like to get more involved with advocacy in your state? Join the advocacy program today and use your voice to make powerful changes for people living with arthritis.
She wants to be a voice for the estimated 300,000 children in the United States who live with arthritis. Kyleigh has advocated most recently for the passage of Missouri Senate Bill 875 (SB 875), which has now been signed into law by Governor Jay Nixon.
SB 875, includes provisions allowing for the substitution of biological medications with biosimilars, with documentation and notification to the patient and physician, and enhances patient access to new and potentially less costly medication. More importantly, it will ensure that pharmacists are communicating critical and up-to-date medical information to physicians.
[caption id="attachment_297" align="aligncenter" width="550"]
Kyleigh during a recent trip to the hospital for her infusion.[/caption]Kyleigh and her family are no strangers to advocacy – for the past 3 years, they have attended the Arthritis Foundation’s Advocacy Summit in Washington DC. When they found out that legislation had been introduced a little closer to home, they jumped at the opportunity to be active throughout the entire process. Kyleigh even took and shared a video while receiving an infusion, asking Governor Nixon to sign SB 875. Kyleigh also testified with her brother, Brennan, in April before the House Health and Mental Health Committee.
The Missouri legislature took a very close look at biosimilar related legislation this past session and introduced biosimilar bills in both the House and Senate. Our legislative champions around biosimilar bills include Senator Kurt Schaefer (sponsor of SB 875), Representative Tila Hubrecht (sponsor of HB 1366) and Representative Sheila Solon (sponsor of HB 1878). We thank these Missouri legislators for their leadership on such an important issue.
View the entire April 2016 House Health and Mental Health Committee below:
We thank all of the Missouri advocates who contacted their legislators and Governor Nixon.
Become an Advocate for Arthritis
Would you like to get more involved with advocacy in your state? Join the advocacy program today and use your voice to make powerful changes for people living with arthritis.