SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 1789

             AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE,

                                MARCH 28, 1991

Brief Description:  Concerning the filling of prescriptions written by out‑of‑state prescribers.

SPONSORS:House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Braddock, Paris and Prentice).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG‑TERM CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators West, Chairman; L. Smith, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Johnson, L. Kreidler, Niemi, and Wojahn.

Staff:  Suzanne Brown (786‑7483)

Hearing Dates:March 27, 1991; March 28, 1991

BACKGROUND:

RCW 69.41.030 was amended in 1987 to place a six-month limit on prescription refills for legend drugs written by out-of-state authorized prescribers.  Current Board of Pharmacy rules limit prescription refills for legend drugs written by any authorized prescriber to one year. 

SUMMARY:

The six-month limit on prescription refills written by authorized out-of-state prescribers is removed.  The obsolete nomenclature of podiatric physicians as "podiatrists" is corrected.  The obsolete reference to the "marine hospital service" is repealed.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

TESTIMONY FOR:

The current limitation on prescription refills written by out-of-state prescribers creates administrative and/or consumer expense and inconvenience.  The removal of this limitation does not pose a threat to public health and safety.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Joan Gaumer, MEDCO Containment Services, Inc. (pro); Lars Hennum, Pharmacists of Washington (pro); Don Williams, Board of Pharmacy (pro)