HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1337

BYRepresentatives Cole, Braddock, Scott, Cantwell, Leonard and Dellwo

Mandating imprinting of over-the-counter medications.

House Committe on Health Care

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (9)

      Signed by Representatives Braddock, Chair; Day, Vice Chair; Brooks, Ranking Republican Member; Cantwell, Chandler, Prentice, D. Sommers, Vekich and Wolfe.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (1)

      Signed by Representative Morris.

House Staff:John Welsh (786-7133)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE FEBRUARY 15, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Current law requires the imprinting of all tablets, capsules and caplets of prescription drugs for identifying the medication and manufacturer or distributor of the medication.  However, there is no legal requirement for these identification characteristics on over-the-counter medications, which are medications not requiring a prescription to be dispensed.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  The imprinting of characteristics identifying the medication and manufacturer or distributor is required on all solid dosage, over-the-counter medications manufactured or sold in the state after January 1, 1990.

Manufacturers must provide to the Board of Pharmacy an identification of each current imprint. The Board is required to distribute this information to all pharmacies, poison control centers and hospital emergency rooms.

Drugs distributed in this state in violation of these requirements are declared as contraband and subject to seizure, and purveyors are subject to civil fines up to $1,000.

Existing drugs may continue to be sold until January 1, 1991, but all drugs manufactured or sold in this state after this date must be imprinted.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: The requirement of distributors to print identifying characteristics on packages or containers of over-the-counter drugs is removed.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Dr. Bill Robertson, Washington Medical Association and Washington Poison Center and Don Williams, Board of Pharmacy.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Joe Doss, The Proprietary Association; Dave Reynolds, Burroughs Wellcome; Jan Gee, Washington Retail Association and Dan Connolly, Bartell Drugs.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The quick identification of drugs is extremely helpful to poison control centers, physicians and pharmacists in treating toxic patients, many of whom are children.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      Currently, the Food and Drug Administration does not require states to comply with universal imprinting laws.  This lack of uniformity among states would make it an extremely difficult task for manufactures to comply with varying states'imprinting procedures. In sum, this bill is not practical.