Public Act 101-0278
 
HB3097 EnrolledLRB101 00211 KTG 45213 b

    AN ACT concerning public aid.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
adding Section 12-4.52 as follows:
 
    (305 ILCS 5/12-4.52 new)
    Sec. 12-4.52. Prescriber education.
    (a) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall
develop, in collaboration with a public university that has a
Doctor of Pharmacy Professional Program and is located in a
county with a population of more than 3,000,000, a program
designed to provide prescribing physicians under the medical
assistance program with an evidence-based, non-commercial
source of the latest objective information about
pharmaceuticals. Information shall be presented to prescribing
physicians by specially trained pharmacists, nurses, or other
health professionals to assist prescribing physicians in
making appropriate therapeutic recommendations.
    (b) The prescriber education program shall consist of 2
components: a web-based curriculum and an academic educator
outreach. The program shall contract with clinical pharmacists
to provide scheduled visits with prescribing physicians to
update them on the latest research concerning medication usage
and new updates on disease states in an unbiased manner.
    (c) Education provided under the prescriber education
program shall include, but not be limited to, disease-based
educational modules on the treatment of chronic non-cancer
pain, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, respiratory
syncytial virus, and nicotine dependence. New modules may be
created periodically as needed and existing module content
shall be reviewed and updated on an annual or as-needed basis.
Educational modules provided under the program shall provide
prescribing physicians with continuing medical education
credit.
    (d) Additional resources provided under the prescriber
education program shall include, but not be limited to, the
following:
        (1) a drug information response center available to
    prescribing physicians that provides thorough and timely
    in-depth answers to any questions a prescribing physician
    may have within 48 hours after a question is received; and
        (2) information on drug utilization trends within
    individual and group practices.