REDISPENSING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS H.B. 6021 (H-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 6021 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Mike Pumford
House Committee: Health Policy
Senate Committee: Health Policy
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Public Health Code to exempt pharmacies operated by or under contract with the Department of Corrections (DOC) from the prohibition against redispensing prescription drugs after they have left the pharmacist's control, if all of the following applied:
-- The pharmacist was satisfied that the conditions under which the prescription drug had been delivered, stored, and handled before and during its return were such as to prevent damage, deterioration, or contamination that adversely would affect the drug's identity, strength, quality, purity, stability, integrity, or effectiveness.
-- The pharmacist was satisfied that the drug did not leave the control of the facility's nurse responsible for the security, handling, and administration of prescription drugs; and did not come into the physical possession of the individual for whom it was prescribed.
-- The pharmacist was satisfied that the labeling and packaging of the drug were accurate; had not been altered, defaced, or tampered with; and included the drug's identity, strength, expiration date, and lot number.
-- The drug was dispensed in a unit dose package or unit of issue package.
A pharmacy operated by or under contract with the DOC could not accept prescription drugs for return until the pharmacist in charge developed a written set of protocols for accepting, returning to stock, repackaging, labeling, and redispensing prescription drugs.
The bill would not apply to a controlled substance; a prescription drug that was not dispensed as a unit dose package or unit of issue package; a prescription drug that was dispensed as part of a customized patient medication package; or a prescription drug that was not labeled properly with the identity, strength, lot number, and expiration date.
MCL 333.17766 et al. Legislative Analyst: Julie Koval
FISCAL IMPACT
Allowing the Department of Corrections (DOC) to redispense prescription drugs that had not left the control of clinic staff would result in pharmaceutical savings. The DOC estimates that redistributing unused medications would save approximately $800,000 per year, but the actual extent of the savings would depend on both the costs of the redispensed medications and the frequency with which they otherwise would have been discarded. The DOC's estimate, however, did not assume that only unit-packaged medications could be reused. This provision likely would diminish potential savings.
Date Completed: 6-30-04 Fiscal Analyst: Bethany Wicksall
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb6021/0304