```

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2161 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2161

 To require the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to collect 
and assess scientific evidence regarding prescription drugs frequently 
  used by Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 2003

 Mr. Bereuter introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To require the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to collect 
and assess scientific evidence regarding prescription drugs frequently 
  used by Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Prescription Value Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FREQUENTLY USED BY MEDICARE OR 
              MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES.

    (a) Study.--The Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
Quality (in this section referred to as the ``Director'') shall--
            (1) identify prescription drugs that are frequently used by 
        Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries;
            (2) collect available scientific evidence regarding the 
        relative clinical appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of 
        such prescription drugs;
            (3) assess the validity and reliability of such scientific 
        evidence; and
            (4) identify areas of additional research needed to make an 
        objective determination on the clinical appropriateness and 
        cost-effectiveness of such prescription drugs.
    (b) Evidence.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall 
take into account--
            (1) any relevant published scientific evidence; and
            (2) publicly available scientific studies and data 
        submitted by pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy benefit 
        managers, public and private payors, pharmacies, managed care 
        plans, and other interested parties.
    (c) Dissemination.--The Director shall disseminate the scientific 
evidence collected under this section to the Congress, State Medicaid 
program directors, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
    (d) Commencement.--The Director shall commence implementation of 
this section not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this section.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the commencement date 
described in subsection (d), the Director shall submit to the Congress 
a report that includes the following:
            (1) A description of the activities conducted under this 
        section.
            (2) A recommendation for the modification or expansion of 
        such activities.
            (3) A description of the applicability of such activities 
        on a large scale to Government programs, including Medicare and 
        Medicaid.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2004 through 2005.
                                 <all>
```