HOUSE BILL REPORT

                       1237

                     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):  Representatives Day, Ballard, Prentice, Ferguson, Cantwell, Paris, Rayburn, Nealey, Padden, Orr and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Agriculture & Rural Development, February 7, 1991, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1237 be substituted therefore, and the substitute bill 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 Substitute 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.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The definition of a veterinary legend drug is added by the substitute bill.  The substitute also clarifies that the 5 percent dispensing limit applies to the total amount of legend drugs dispensed.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  (1)  Pharmacies do not carry an inventory of veterinary legend drugs, but these drugs cannot be dispensed by one veterinarian to fill the prescription of another veterinarian.  The bill assists travelers with pets and other persons whose animals have been moved away from their local vet in securing refills of prescriptions for their animals.  (2)  The bill reduces costs to consumers by permitting them to get their pets' prescriptions filled when out of town without having to pay for a new exam just to get the refill.  (3)  The 5 percent limit in the bill prevents vets from being veterinary pharmacists.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Greg Hanon and Brian Albers, Washington State Veterinary Medical Association (in favor); Don Williams, Board of Pharmacy (in favor); and Lars Hennum, Pharmacists of Washington (in favor).