HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2588

 

 

 

As Passed House:

February 14, 2002

 

Title:  An act relating to information required to appear on a prescription label.

 

Brief Description:  Modifying the information required on a prescription label.

 

Sponsors:  By Representatives Skinner and Cody.

 

Brief History: 

Committee Activity: 

Health Care:  2/1/02, 2/7/02 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/14/02, 86-0.

 

Brief Summary of Bill

$Updates the information required on a prescription label and allows the identification of the licensed pharmacist responsible for dispensing the medication to be recorded either in the pharmacy's record system or on the prescription label.

 

 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

 

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Cody, Chair; Schual‑Berke, Vice Chair; Campbell, Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Ballasiotes, Benson, Conway, Darneille, Edwards, Ruderman and Skinner.

 

Staff:  Dave Knutson (786‑7146).

 

Background:

 

The statutory requirements related to information contained on a prescription label have not been modified since 1984.  In addition to providing information about the dispensed drug, the prescriber, and the dispensing pharmacy, the pharmacist who dispenses the medication must initial the prescription label.  Many pharmacies have moved to electronic record keeping systems.

 

 

Summary of Bill: 

 

Updates the information required on a prescription label and allows the identification of the licensed pharmacist responsible for dispensing the medication to be recorded either in the pharmacy's record system or on the prescription label.

 

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

 

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

 

Testimony For:  Pharmacy record keeping has improved dramatically over the past 21 years.  It is no longer necessary to manually record the pharmacist=s initials on the prescription label.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  Don Williams, Board of Pharmacy-Department of Health; and Doug Beeman, Group Health.