Committee Passes CURES Funding Bill

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefSACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development on Monday passed a bill that would impose license surcharges on providers and tax drug manufacturers and insurers to fund California’s prescription drug-monitoring program.The committee passed the bill despite a suggestion from one member that the money to operate the Controlled Substances Utilization Review Evaluation and Management System, or CURES, should come from the General Fund, and not from surcharges on licenses.At the same time, the committee hear...