AN ACT Relating to the authority of pharmacists to dispense prescription drugs; and adding a new section to chapter 18.64 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 18.64 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A pharmacist may dispense a prescription drug to a patient with an expired prescription if:

(a) Reasonable efforts to contact the prescribing practitioner have been made and were unsuccessful;

(b) The patient has been on a consistent drug therapy as demonstrated by records maintained by a pharmacy;

(c) The prescription drug is not a controlled substance;

(d) The amount of the drug dispensed does not exceed either a seven-day supply or the minimum packaging size that cannot be broken; and

(e) The original prescription does not indicate any type of restriction or limitation as annotated by the practitioner.

(2) A pharmacist may not dispense a particular prescription drug to the same patient without a valid prescription as described in subsection (1) of this section more than once in any twelve-month period.

(3) The pharmacist shall promptly notify the prescriber that his or her patient's expired prescription has been filled as soon as the prescriber is available.

(4) The provisions of this section do not:

(a) Expand or restrict the authority of the commission to adopt other limited exceptions that allow for the dispensing of prescription drugs by pharmacists without a prescription; or

(b) Limit the terms of a collaborative drug therapy agreement.

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