CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                  SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5565

 

 

                   Chapter 248, Laws of 2001

 

 

                        57th Legislature

                      2001 Regular Session

 

 

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES--PRESCRIPTIONS

 

 

 

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  7/22/01

Passed by the Senate April 17, 2001

  YEAS 47   NAYS 0

 

 

               BRAD OWEN

President of the Senate

 

Passed by the House April 4, 2001

  YEAS 95   NAYS 0

             CERTIFICATE

 

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is  SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5565 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

              FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the

      House of Representatives

            TONY M. COOK

                            Secretary

 

 

 

             CLYDE BALLARD

Speaker of the

      House of Representatives

 

 

Approved May 11, 2001 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.   

                                FILED          

 

 

             May 11, 2001 - 9:18 a.m.

 

 

 

              GARY LOCKE

Governor of the State of Washington

                 Secretary of State

                 State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5565

          _______________________________________________

 

                      AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

 

             Passed Legislature - 2001 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Deccio, Thibaudeau and Kohl‑Welles)

 

READ FIRST TIME 03/05/2001.

Dispensing controlled substance orders and prescriptions.    


    AN ACT Relating to controlled substance orders and prescriptions; amending RCW 69.50.308; and repealing RCW 69.50.307.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 69.50.308 and 1993 c 187 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

    (a) A controlled substance may be dispensed only as provided in this section.

    (b) Except when dispensed directly by a practitioner authorized to prescribe or administer a controlled substance, other than a pharmacy, to an ultimate user, a substance included in Schedule II may not be dispensed without the written prescription of a practitioner.

    (1) Schedule II narcotic substances may be dispensed by a pharmacy pursuant to a facsimile prescription under the following circumstances:

    (i) The facsimile prescription is transmitted by a practitioner to the pharmacy; and

    (ii) The facsimile prescription is for a patient in a long-term care facility.  "Long-term care facility" means nursing homes licensed under chapter 18.51 RCW, boarding homes licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW, and adult family homes licensed under chapter 70.128 RCW; or

    (iii) The facsimile prescription is for a patient of a hospice program certified or paid for by medicare under Title XVIII; or

    (iv) The facsimile prescription is for a patient of a hospice program licensed by the state; and

    (v) The practitioner or the practitioner's agent notes on the facsimile prescription that the patient is a long-term care or hospice patient.

    (2) Injectable Schedule II narcotic substances that are to be compounded for patient use may be dispensed by a pharmacy pursuant to a facsimile prescription if the facsimile prescription is transmitted by a practitioner to the pharmacy.

    (3) Under (1) and (2) of this subsection the facsimile prescription shall serve as the original prescription and shall be maintained as other Schedule II narcotic substances prescriptions.

    (c) In emergency situations, as defined by rule of the state board of pharmacy, a substance included in Schedule II may be dispensed upon oral prescription of a practitioner, reduced promptly to writing and filed by the pharmacy.  Prescriptions shall be retained in conformity with the requirements of RCW 69.50.306.  A prescription for a substance included in Schedule II may not be refilled.

    (d) Except when dispensed directly by a practitioner authorized to prescribe or administer a controlled substance, other than a pharmacy, to an ultimate user, a substance included in Schedule III or IV, which is a prescription drug as determined under RCW 69.04.560, may not be dispensed without a written or oral prescription of a practitioner.  Any oral prescription must be promptly reduced to writing.  The prescription shall not be filled or refilled more than six months after the date thereof or be refilled more than five times, unless renewed by the practitioner.

    (e) A valid prescription or lawful order of a practitioner, in order to be effective in legalizing the possession of controlled substances, must be issued in good faith for a legitimate medical purpose by one authorized to prescribe the use of such controlled substance.  An order purporting to be a prescription not in the course of professional treatment is not a valid prescription or lawful order of a practitioner within the meaning and intent of this chapter; and the person who knows or should know that the person is filling such an order, as well as the person issuing it, can be charged with a violation of this chapter.

    (f) A substance included in Schedule V must be distributed or dispensed only for a medical purpose.

    (g) A practitioner may dispense or deliver a controlled substance to or for an individual or animal only for medical treatment or authorized research in the ordinary course of that practitioner's profession.  Medical treatment includes dispensing or administering a narcotic drug for pain, including intractable pain.

    (h) No administrative sanction, or civil or criminal liability, authorized or created by this chapter may be imposed on a pharmacist for action taken in reliance on a reasonable belief that an order purporting to be a prescription was issued by a practitioner in the usual course of professional treatment or in authorized research.

    (i) An individual practitioner may not dispense a substance included in Schedule II, III, or IV for that individual practitioner's personal use.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  RCW 69.50.307 (Order forms) and 1971 ex.s. c 308 s 69.50.307 are each repealed.


    Passed the Senate April 17, 2001.

    Passed the House April 4, 2001.

Approved by the Governor May 11, 2001.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 11, 2001.