1969]                   OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES                        15

there is no way to tell which drugs would be on the list and thereby compute the money that could be saved.

The strongest reason for my reservation of approval is the almost total opposition which was raised by the medical profession and related fields. This is important and significant because it is the physician who is responsible for the care and treatment of his patient. It is he who must prescribe the drug which he feels will be the one which will produce the most rapid recovery. It is to him that the patient will look when the results are not satisfactory and health is not restored as completely or as quickly as the patient might expect. And it is the physician, and such agencies as the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty, the State Health Department, the Board of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland School of Pharmacy, to whom I must look for expert advice and counsel on such a subject. Their complete and unanimous opposition was clear. In the face of this, it would be hard to justify approval on my part until such time as all the problems of the procedure are worked out and hard facts are available to substantiate the claims of the bill's supporters.

I would suggest that the matter be thoroughly studied in the coming year and that every effort be made to cooperate with the Federal authorities who are now studying the equivalency question. Federal regulations are expected within the year on this very subject. The State would be prudent in waiting until these regulations are forthcoming before stepping out in a direction which may not be a wise choice.

For the above reasons I am compelled to veto this measure.

Sincerely,

/s/ Spiro T. Agnew, Governor.

Vetoed by the Governor—May 7, 1968 House Bill No. 574—By Delegate Orlinsky:

An Act to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 42(a) of Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume and 1967 Supplement), title "Health," subtitle "Miscellaneous 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.

The Speaker put the question: Shall the bill pass notwithstanding the objections of the Executive ?

Affirmative

Delegate—

McCarty—Total—1

Negative

Delegates—

Mr. Speaker, Briscoe, Fowler, Boyer, Athey, Lipin, Thomason, Burkhead, Connell, Helms, Allen, Anderson, Fornos, Benner, Compton, Nimmerrichter, Arata, Coolahan, Malone, Alpert, Jacobson, Rynd, Hopkins, Nice, Price, Hinkel, Jensen, Jones, Kardash, Schirano, Tyler, Einschutz, Evans, Rush, Arnick, D'Anna, Minnick, Dize, Matthews, (R. M.), Burkheimer, Mackie, Dorman, Menes, Mothershead, Banning, Goodman, Hull, King, Montfort, Santangelo, Weile, Aragona, Bagley, Donovan, Giordano, McDonough, Rummage, Hickman (C. M.), Hickman (R.), Houck, Remsberg, Virts, Greer, Hess, Osborne, Scarff, Hargreaves, Bonvegna, Bullock, Dypski, Krysiak, Silk, Walters,