SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                      1647

This bill would change the hours and days of voter registration
in Calvert County. Both the sponsor of the bill and the Senator
representing the County have informed me that events subsequent to
the bill's passage have cleared up the problem the bill is designed
to correct. For this reason they have requested that I veto the
measure.

I am thus complying with their request.

Sincerely,
(s) Spiro T. Agnew,

Governor.

House Bill No. 574—Generic Names of Drugs

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 42
(a) of Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replace-
ment Volume and 1967 Supplement), title "Health," subtitle "Mis-
cellaneous Provisions," to provide that the Department of Health,
after hearings, shall publish a list of drugs which shall be prescribed
by their generic name; and to limit the profit allowable as a handling

charge for drugs under the medical aid program to twenty per cent

of wholesale costs.

May 7, 1968.

Honorable Marvin Mandel
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Section 17 of Article II of the Maryland
Constitution, I have vetoed today House Bill 574 and am returning
it to you.

This bill would direct the Department of Health to publish a list
of drugs which, when prescribed under a grant program, must be
prescribed by their generic names. I want to make it abundantly
clear that I am not opposed to the principle of this bill. I am certain
that some generic drugs can be prescribed with the same confidence
as brand name drugs. However, the dangers inherent in such a
procedure make it of the utmost importance that we proceed only
when we are sure of our steps.

The bill before me would allow a list to be published only after
public hearings and only after the physician's and pharmacists' serv-
ices committees of the Maryland Medical Assistance Advisory Com-
mittee approve. However, many questions are raised by this procedure
which the bill does not answer. Must the committees be unanimous
in their approval? What is to be used as a criteria for judging the
efficiency of these drugs? Are they to be tested and if so, who is
to do the testing and how will it be financed? What can be done if
a doctor refuses to prescribe the drugs by their generic name once on