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May 8, 2006
 Senate Bill 1 Is the Wrong Prescription for
Colorado
This opinion, published in the Fort Smith, Colorado, newspaper,
addresses the flaws in the concept of a preferred drug list (PDL) as
a way to reduce prescription drug costs and thus reduce Medicaid
outlays. The editorial cites evidence from the state of Maine, which
has had a PDL since 2001.
Specifically, the Maine experience has
shown that a PDL increases cost shifting because when prescriptions
are limited to a pool of generic or most commonly prescribed
medications, patients and physicians must sometimes engage in
increased testing to monitor the drug's side effects, and
effectiveness. The effects of cost shifting are seen in increased
emergency department utilization and increased physician visits.
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