ByHouse Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Davis, Kilduff, Leavitt, Sells, Harris, Macri, Wylie, Doglio, Pollet, and Appleton)

AN ACT Relating to increasing access to medications for people with opioid use disorder; adding a new section to chapter 18.64 RCW; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature declares opioid use disorder is a public health crisis. Access to medications to treat this disease needs to be made readily available, especially to vulnerable populations who may not be able to access medical care or a pharmacy.

(2) The legislature recognizes that increased access to buprenorphine, as well as additional medications necessary to aid in recovery, could benefit individuals who are suffering from opioid use disorder. The legislature further recognizes that access to pharmacies may be difficult for vulnerable populations. To increase access to medications while ensuring patient safety the legislature intends to create a new credential to allow for a pharmacy license to be extended to a remote dispensing site where technology is used to dispense medications.

(1) The license of location for a pharmacy licensed under this chapter may be extended to a remote dispensing site where technology is used to dispense medications approved by the United States food and drug administration for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

(2) In order for a pharmacy to use remote dispensing sites, a pharmacy must register each separate remote dispensing site with the commission.

(3) The commission shall adopt rules that establish minimum standards for remote dispensing sites registered under this section. The minimum standards shall address who may retrieve medications for opioid use disorder stored in or at a remote dispensing site pursuant to a valid prescription or chart order. The minimum standards must require the pharmacy be responsible for stocking and maintaining a perpetual inventory of the medications for opioid use disorder stored in or at the registered remote dispensing site.

(4) The secretary may adopt rules to establish a reasonable fee for obtaining and renewing a registration issued under this section.

(5) The registration issued under this section will be considered as part of the pharmacy license issued under RCW 18.64.043. If the underlying pharmacy license is not active, then the registration shall be considered inoperable by operation of law.