SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 2623

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          Health & Long-Term Care, February 22, 1996

Title:  An act relating to requiring the use of single name identifiers for persons obtaining controlled substances.

Brief Description:  Requiring the use of single name identifiers for persons obtaining controlled substances.

Sponsors:  Representatives Dyer, Hymes, Cody, Murray, Brumsickle, Casada, Conway, Skinner, Crouse, Morris, Sherstad and Scheuerman.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Health & Long-Term Care:  2/22/96 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Quigley, Chair; Wojahn, Vice Chair; Deccio, Fairley, Franklin, Thibaudeau, Winsley and Wood.

Staff:  Wendy Saunders (786-7439)

Background:  Individuals who abuse or deal illegally in controlled substances may use different names to obtain multiple prescriptions.  Although it is currently illegal to  obtain controlled substances by fraud, there is no specific prohibition against using more than one name to obtain a prescription for a controlled substance.

Prohibiting the use of more than one name to obtain these prescriptions may prevent  individuals from fraudulently obtaining controlled substances.  It has also been suggested  that requiring all individual records to be filed under a single name could prevent problems with duplicate therapy, drug interactions, and adverse effects.

Summary of Amended Bill:  It is illegal to use more than one name to obtain a controlled substance.  Individuals are required to inform all providers of any legal name change. Those providers must conform medical and pharmacy records to a single name identifier.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  There is a technical amendment that deletes the word pharmacist to provide uniformity in the terminology used throughout the section.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem. Individuals frequently use more than one name to obtain multiple prescriptions for controlled substances. To stop this practice, law enforcement officials must prove fraud, which is very difficult. Prohibiting the use of more than one name will assist law enforcement official's, physician's, and pharmacist's efforts to eliminate prescription drug abuse.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Don Williams, Pharmacy Board; James Bordenet, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Dr. Gerald Yoriora, Washington Academy of Family Physicians, WSMA.