# Virginia SB418: Therapeutic interchange; authorizes pharmacists to perform, adaptation of prescriptions.

Virginia SB418, Therapeutic interchange; authorizes pharmacists to perform, adaptation of prescriptions., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Barbara A. Favola (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0888)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB418-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB418
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Therapeutic interchange; authorizes pharmacists to perform, adaptation of prescriptions.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0888)
- Sponsor: Barbara A. Favola (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 9 (209 yes, 11 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Therapeutic interchange and adaptation. Authorizes pharmacists to perform therapeutic interchanges by substituting a drug with another drug in the same therapeutic class when such substitution lowers the cost or is cost-neutral to the patient or the prescribed drug is in a drug shortage and the substitution conforms to Board of Pharmacy regulations. The bill directs the Board of Pharmacy to determine which therapeutic classes of drugs shall be eligible for therapeutic interchange and which classes shall be prohibited. The bill also authorizes pharmacists to adapt prescriptions by changing the dosage form or quantity of a medication or by completing missing information on a prescription when there is evidence to support such change.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Virginia patients get more prescription options: benefit, low. Virginia pharmacists can switch a prescription to another drug in the same treatment class. In the pharmacist’s judgment, the replacement must have similar treatment effects and side effects at an equivalent dose. The switch must lower or leave unchanged the patient’s cost, except during a listed d…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Barbara A. Favola (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-27 | House | Passed House | pass | 87 | 8 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services | pass | 19 | 3 |   |
| 2026-02-19 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 10 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-10 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-09 | Senate | Senator Favola Amendment agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-09 | Senate | Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health | pass | 14 | 0 |   |

## Actions (36)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0888) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0888) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 888 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB418) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB418ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-27: Passed House (87-Y 8-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-27: Read third time (House)
- 2026-02-26: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-24: Reported from Health and Human Services (19-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-02-19: Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Assigned sub: Health Professions (House)
- 2026-02-13: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House)
- 2026-02-13: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB418) (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Floor offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Senator Favola Amendment agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-30: Assigned Education sub: Health Professions (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB418) (Senate)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104862D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1223136.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1223135.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1188567.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1188566.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135305.HTML)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135371.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135370.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089996.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089995.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1223136.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1223135.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1188567.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1188566.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135305.HTML)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135371.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135370.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089996.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089995.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB418-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).