Senate Bill 936 is Vetoed by Governor Tom Wolf

Senate Bill 936, which called for a Workers’ Compensation Drug Formulary, has been vetoed by Governor Tom Wolf. In mid-April, the bill passed on reconsideration and on final passage, and was presented to the Governor to either approve or veto within ten days.

S.B. 936 called for the selection of a “nationally-recognized, evidence-based prescription drug formulary appropriate for resolving issues related to drugs prescribed for or related to the treatment of work-related injuries, including, but not limited to, the type, dosage and duration of prescriptions.”

Proponents of the drug formulary said the proposed amendment to the Workers’ Compensation Act of PA, would help combat various problems ranging from the opioid epidemic and expensive compound creams

Those opposed to the bill believe that a drug formulary would restrict injured workers’ medical care by dictating what medications providers can prescribe for injuries, regardless of what they feel would be the best course of treatment. Governor Wolf stated the following:

“Make no mistake, Senate Bill 936 is not a bill designed to fight the opioid crisis. Senate Bill 936 threatens health care for millions of workers who could be injured on the job, including police, corrections officers, and firefighters, who put their lives on the line every day, and whose injuries can be unique, debilitating and severe. It is wrong to sacrifice health care for our first responders to protect the bottom-line for insurance companies and corporations. 

“My administration has outlined a number of executive and legislative actions that can be taken immediately to address the rising misuse and over-prescribing of opioids in the health care system, including Workers’ Compensation. Implementing those actions is my top priority”