Bills that would have restricted pharmacists' ability to substitute biosimilar drugs for brand-name therapies failed to advance out of committees in the Mississippi House and Senate. Proponents say that pharmacists should be allowed to substitute only a biosimilar FDA-approved as "interchangeable" with the brand-name biologic drug for the specific indication and that doctors' orders to dispense as written should override payer policies. Opponents say the federal Public Health Service Act allows automatic substitution and the Mississippi legislation and other bills like it are simply an effort to protect drugmaker profits.