STANDARDIZATION OF MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL ITEMS.

SEC. 402. STANDARDIZATION OF MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL ITEMS. Not later than October 1, 1989, the Administrator shall develop and fully implement an agency-wide plan for the cost-effective standardization, in a manner consistent with the effective furnishing of health-care services, of medical and pharmaceutical items procured by the Veterans’ Administration. The plan shall provide for the procurement of generic pharmaceutical items when such procurement is more economical than procurement of a name-brand pharmaceutical item unless the Chief Medical Director of the Veterans’ Administration (1) determines, after consultation with the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, that an equivalent generic item is not available, or (2) determines that the procurement of a name-brand item is necessary in the interests of effective patient care.