Prescription drugs could become available to Washingtonians in the form of far less expensive generic products, under legislation passed out of the state Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee Friday.

Senate Bill 5203, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim), would authorize the state Health Care Authority (HCA) to partner with other states, state agencies and non-profit entities to produce, distribute or purchase generic drugs and would require state-purchased health insurance programs to procure generic drugs through the partnership.

“Generics are a cheaper alternative to many name-brand drugs but just as safe and effective,” said the 24th District senator. “This is a major step to reduce the unnecessarily high cost of drugs.”

The legislation specifies that the drugs must be produced or distributed by a drug company or generic drug manufacturer registered with the United States Food and Drug Administration, and requires that any HCA partnership result in savings to public and private purchasers and consumers. Local governments, private entities, health carriers and others would be allowed to purchase generic drugs from the HCA as availability allows.

Madison Johnson, who must take insulin because of diabetes, testified during a committee hearing Friday on the bill that the cost of her insulin alone could exceed $1,200 a month. “The COVID-19 pandemic has placed my job and health insurance at risk, and I fear losing access to the medication and diabetes supplies I need to live,” Johnson said. “No one should have to worry about how to obtain the medication they need to survive.”