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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" citation="COMAR 14.01.04.05" title_num="14" subtitle_num="01" chapter_num="04" heading="Cost Review Study.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>The Board may determine:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Whether use of the prescription drug product has led or will lead to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Affordability challenges to the State health care system; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>High out-of-pocket costs for patients;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Whether the use that has led to affordability challenges or high out-of-pocket costs is consistent with:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The labeling approved by the FDA; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Standard medical practice; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The circumstances under which the prescription drug product has or will lead to an affordability challenge to the State health care system or high out-of-pocket costs to patients under §A(1) of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Analyses and Data Compilation.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>To the extent practicable, Board staff may assemble the data and analyses specified by Health-General Article §21-2C-09(b), Annotated Code of Maryland, and this regulation for consideration by the Board, including the data elements and information provided to the Board under Regulation .03A and B of this chapter.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>These data and analyses may be:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Derived from published peer-reviewed literature;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Derived from published public sources such as the FDA Orange Book, the FDA Purple Book, and other sources;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Reported by or derived from manufacturers, health insurance plans, HMOs, MCOs, PBMs, and wholesale distributors;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Produced by Board staff through analysis;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Derived from external analyses and modeling studies;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Derived from the MCDB, any claims set of the MCDB, and any other databases containing relevant information;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Derived from reports generated by U.S. governmental entities, State governmental entities, foreign governmental and quasi-governmental agencies, and U.S. and foreign non-profit organizations; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Derived from quantitative and qualitative data collected by Board staff.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Factors Considered in Cost Review Study.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>To the extent practicable, the Board may consider the following data, information, and analyses in conducting a cost review study:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Drug Pricing for Drug Product Under Review:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The WAC, AWP, NADAC, SAAC, ASP, and FSS; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Information estimating manufacturer net price and net sales amounts of the prescription drug product under review;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Price Concessions, Discounts, and Rebates:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The average price concession, discount, and rebate provided by the manufacturer or expected to be provided to each payor class in the State for the drug under review, expressed as a number and as a percent of the WAC; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The average price concession, discount, and rebate the manufacturer provided or is expected to provide for the prescription drug product under review to each PBM operating in the State, expressed as a number and as a percent of the WAC;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Therapeutic Alternatives:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The average price concession, discount, or rebate the manufacturer provides or is expected to provide to health plans in the State for therapeutic alternatives;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The WAC, AWP, NADAC, SAAC, ASP, and FSS at which each therapeutic alternative has been sold in the State; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>The utilization, costs, and out-of-pocket costs for therapeutic alternatives;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Patient Access:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The costs to health plans based on patient access consistent with FDA-labeled indications or standard medical practice;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The estimated impact on patient access resulting from the cost of the prescription drug product relative to insurance benefit design; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>The current or expected dollar value of drug-specific patient access programs that are supported by the manufacturer for the drug product under review and the policies surrounding and implementing such programs;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Cost and Comparative Effectiveness Analyses:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The incremental costs associated with a prescription drug product, including financial impacts to health, medical, or social services as can be quantified and compared to baseline effects of existing therapeutic alternatives; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Information derived from health economics and outcomes research that may address the effectiveness of the prescription drug product in treating the conditions for which it is prescribed or in improving a patient’s health, quality of life, or overall health outcomes, and the effectiveness of the prescription drug product compared with therapeutic alternatives or no treatment.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Cost Sharing:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The average patient copay and other cost-sharing data for the prescription drug in the State; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The average cost share; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Additional Board Factors:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Clinical information, including FDA indications and doses and information concerning standard medical practice;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The disease burden of the condition that is treated by the prescription drug product;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>In the case of generic prescription drug products, the number of pharmaceutical manufacturers that produce the prescription drug product;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>The total gross spending in the State for the prescription drug product under review, the total number of patients in the State using the prescription drug product, and the percentage of overall total prescription drug product spending that the product’s spending represents;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>The change in total gross spending and utilization for a prescription drug product in the State between the two most recent available calendar years and the percent change in total gross spending for a prescription drug product in the State between the two most recent available calendar years;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vi)">
          <text>The mean, median, and 90th percentile out-of-pocket costs per patient compared to State incomes;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vii)">
          <text>An assessment of the impact of the prescription drug product’s cost to access by priority populations and the impact on equity;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(viii)">
          <text>Information supplied by the manufacturer, if any, explaining the relationship between the pricing of the prescription drug product and (a) the cost of development and (b) the therapeutic benefit of the prescription drug product, or information that is otherwise pertinent to the manufacturer’s pricing decision;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ix)">
          <text>Analysis of the prescription drug product’s approval process;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(x)">
          <text>Analysis of the prescription drug product’s shortage status;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xi)">
          <text>Analysis of the market context of the prescription drug product including the prescription drug product’s lifecycle management, patent management, regulatory exclusivities, and product hopping;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xii)">
          <text>The utilization and pricing of therapeutically equivalent drug products;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xiii)">
          <text>Analysis of the impact of state and federal regulatory and compliance issues related to the prescription drug product;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xiv)">
          <text>Input from state and local governmental entities and the entities’ contractors such as health plans and plan administrators;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xv)">
          <text>Impact of the utilization and spending for the prescription drug product on public budgets and comparison of the spending on the prescription drug product to relevant benchmarks;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xvi)">
          <text>Analyses and research including literature review by Board staff in response to information submitted by an entity under Regulation .04 of this chapter, or through any public comment or public input procedure</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xvii)">
          <text>Input from the public; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xviii)">
          <text>Information and analyses submitted by an entity under Regulation .04 of this chapter.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The public may provide written comments concerning the prescription drug product:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Within 60 days of the date the drug’s selection for cost review study is posted on the Board’s website; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>In accordance with the procedures in COMAR 14.01.01.05B(3).</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>At an open meeting, the Board may:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Hear oral public comments concerning the prescription drug product in accordance with the procedures in COMAR 14.01.01.05A;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>To the extent permitted by Health-General Article, §§21-2C-03 and 21-2C-10, Annotated Code of Maryland, consider written comments submitted in accordance with the procedures in COMAR 14.01.01.05;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>To the extent practicable, and in compliance with Health-General Article, §21-2C-03(e)(1)(iv), Annotated Code of Maryland, consider the data and analyses specified by §C of this regulation, including the data elements and information provided to the Board under Regulation .03 of this chapter;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Close the session to discuss confidential, trade-secret, and proprietary information; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Preliminarily determine whether:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Use of the prescription drug product, identified by NDC, has led or will lead to:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Affordability challenges to the State health care system; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>High out-of-pocket costs for patients; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Whether the use that has led to affordability challenges or high out-of-pocket costs is consistent with:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The labeling approved by the FDA; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Standard medical practice.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>If the Board is unable to determine whether a prescription drug product will produce or has produced challenges to the affordability of the prescription drug product for the State health care system, the Board may consider:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The additional factors identified in Health-General Article, §21-2C-09(b)(3)(i)—(iv), Annotated Code of Maryland; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The following additional factors:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Federal support for the research and development of the prescription drug product; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Pricing data from other countries for the prescription drug product.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>Preliminary Determination.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>In accordance with §C of this regulation, the Board may make a preliminary determination of whether use of the prescription drug product has led or will lead to affordability challenges for the State health care system or high out-of-pocket costs for patients.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A preliminary determination is non-final and subject to revision and modification.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Preliminary Determination of Affordability Challenge.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Board staff shall prepare a draft of the preliminary determination cost review report that summarizes the information considered by the Board in conducting the cost review study, the Board’s deliberations, the circumstances or indicia reflecting the affordability challenge, and the Board’s preliminary determination.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The public may comment on the draft of the preliminary determination cost review report.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>Final Determination Concerning Affordability Challenge and Final Cost Review Study Report.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The Board may vote to finalize the preliminary determination and approve the draft cost review report as final.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Board’s determination of whether a prescription drug has or will lead to an affordability challenge is not final until the final cost review report is adopted by the Board.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The Board shall create and adopt a final report of the cost review study that, to the extent permitted by Health-General Article, §§21-2C-03 and 21-2C-10, Annotated Code of Maryland, summarizes the information considered by the Board in conducting the cost review study, the Board’s deliberations, and the Board’s determination.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>