HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5381

                    As Passed Legislature

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;

Passed House, April 10, 1991, 93-0;

Passed Legislature, 93-0.

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.