HOUSE BILL REPORT
SSB
5381
As Reported By House Committee on:
Agriculture & Rural Development
Title: An act relating to veterinary medicine.
Brief Description: Allowing a veterinarian to dispense legend drugs prescribed by another veterinarian.
Sponsor(s): Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators West, Gaspard, Bailey, Hansen, Bauer and L. Smith).
Brief History:
Reported by House Committee on:
Agriculture & Rural Development, April 2, 1991, DP.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON
AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Nealey, Ranking Minority Member; P. Johnson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chandler; Grant; R. Johnson; Lisk; McLean; Rasmussen; and Roland.
Staff: Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).
Background: Under state law, a "legend drug" is one which may not be sold, delivered, or possessed except upon the order or prescription of certain licensed practitioners. These licensed practitioners include veterinarians.
Summary of Bill: A licensed veterinarian may dispense veterinary legend drugs that have been prescribed by another licensed veterinarian. However, this activity may not constitute more than 5 percent of the dosage units of legend drugs dispensed annually by the veterinarian. The dispensing veterinarian must keep records of these dispensing activities.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: Under current law, if a veterinarian is out of the legend drug he or she prescribed for a customer's animal, the customer cannot get the drug from another practitioner. The bill permits the customer to fill the prescription.
Testimony Against: None.
Witnesses: Greg Hanon, Washington Veterinary Medical Association; and Susan Shirley and Jack Melton, Veterinary Board of Governors.