BILL REQ. #:  S-4548.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/06/04.   

     AN ACT Relating to further regulation of the sale of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine; amending RCW 18.64.046, 18.64.047, 69.43.110, and 69.43.035; reenacting and amending RCW 18.64.044; creating a new section; prescribing penalties; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that quantities of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine continue to be sold at the wholesale and retail levels far in excess of legitimate consumer needs. The excess quantities being sold are most likely used in the criminal manufacture of methamphetamine. It is therefore necessary for the legislature to further regulate the sales of these drugs, including sales from out-of-state sources, in order to reduce the threat that methamphetamine presents to the people of the state.

Sec. 2   RCW 18.64.044 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 9 s 401 and 1989 c 352 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) A shopkeeper registered as provided in this section may sell nonprescription drugs, if such drugs are sold in the original package of the manufacturer.
     (2) Every shopkeeper not a licensed pharmacist, desiring to secure the benefits and privileges of this section, is hereby required to register as a shopkeeper through the master license system, and he or she shall pay the fee determined by the secretary for registration, and on a date to be determined by the secretary thereafter the fee determined by the secretary for renewal of the registration; and shall at all times keep said registration or the current renewal thereof conspicuously exposed in the ((shop)) location to which it applies. In event such shopkeeper's registration is not renewed by the master license expiration date, no renewal or new registration shall be issued except upon payment of the registration renewal fee and the master license delinquency fee under chapter 19.02 RCW. This registration fee shall not authorize the sale of legend drugs or controlled substances.
     (3) The registration fees determined by the secretary under subsection (2) of this section shall not exceed the cost of registering the shopkeeper.
     (4) Any shopkeeper who shall vend or sell, or offer to sell to the public any such nonprescription drug or preparation without having registered to do so as provided in this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and each sale or offer to sell shall constitute a separate offense.
     (5) A shopkeeper may purchase ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, only from a wholesaler licensed by the department under RCW 18.64.046 or from a manufacturer licensed by the department under RCW 18.64.045. A person violating this subsection is guilty of a gross misdemeanor, and each purchase in violation of this subsection constitutes a separate offense.
     (6) No shopkeeper may sell any quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, if the total monthly sales of these products exceed ten percent of the shopkeeper's total prior monthly sales of nonprescription drugs in March through October. In November through February, no shopkeeper may sell any quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, if the total monthly sales of these products exceed twenty percent of the shopkeeper's total prior monthly sales of nonprescription drugs. For purposes of this section, monthly sales means total dollars paid by buyers. The board may suspend or revoke the registration of a shopkeeper who violates this subsection.
     (7) Shopkeepers shall maintain inventory records of the receipt and disposition of nonprescription drugs in the form and manner required by the board. The records shall be available for inspection by the board or any law enforcement agency and shall be maintained for two years. The board may suspend or revoke the registration of a shopkeeper who violates this subsection.

Sec. 3   RCW 18.64.046 and 2003 c 53 s 133 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The owner of each place of business which sells legend drugs and nonprescription drugs, or nonprescription drugs at wholesale shall pay a license fee to be determined by the secretary, and thereafter, on or before a date to be determined by the secretary as provided in RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280, a like fee to be determined by the secretary, for which the owner shall receive a license of location from the department, which shall entitle such owner to either sell legend drugs and nonprescription drugs or nonprescription drugs at wholesale at the location specified for the period ending on a date to be determined by the secretary, and each such owner shall at the time of payment of such fee file with the department, on a blank therefor provided, a declaration of ownership and location, which declaration of ownership and location so filed as aforesaid shall be deemed presumptive evidence of the ownership of such place of business mentioned therein. It shall be the duty of the owner to notify immediately the department of any change of location and ownership and to keep the license of location or the renewal thereof properly exhibited in such place of business.
     (2) Failure to conform with this section is a misdemeanor, and each day that the failure continues is a separate offense.
     (3) In event the license fee remains unpaid on the date due, no renewal or new license shall be issued except upon compliance with administrative procedures, administrative requirements, and fees determined as provided in RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280.
     (4) No wholesaler may sell any quantity of drug products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, if the total monthly sales of these products to persons within the state of Washington exceed five percent of the wholesaler's total prior monthly sales of nonprescription drugs to persons within the state in March through October. In November through February, no wholesaler may sell any quantity of drug products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers if the total monthly sales of these products to persons within the state of Washington exceed ten percent of the wholesaler's total prior monthly sales of nonprescription drugs to persons within the state. For purposes of this section, monthly sales means total dollars paid by buyers. The board may suspend or revoke the license of any wholesaler that violates this section.
     (5) The requirements for a license apply to all persons, in Washington and outside of Washington, who sell both legend drugs and nonprescription drugs and to those who sell only nonprescription drugs, at wholesale to pharmacies, practitioners, and shopkeepers in Washington.
     (6) No wholesaler may sell any quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, to any person in Washington other than a pharmacy licensed under this chapter, a shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered under this chapter, or a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011. A violation of this subsection is punishable as a class C felony according to chapter 9A.20 RCW, and each sale in violation of this subsection constitutes a separate offense.

Sec. 4   RCW 18.64.047 and 2003 c 53 s 134 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any itinerant vendor or any peddler of any nonprescription drug or preparation for the treatment of disease or injury, shall pay a registration fee determined by the secretary on a date to be determined by the secretary as provided in RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280. The department may issue a registration to such vendor on an approved application made to the department.
     (2) Any itinerant vendor or peddler who shall vend or sell, or offer to sell to the public any such nonprescription drug or preparation without having registered to do so as provided in this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor and each sale or offer to sell shall constitute a separate offense.
     (3) In event the registration fee remains unpaid on the date due, no renewal or new registration shall be issued except upon compliance with administrative procedures, administrative requirements, and fees determined as provided in RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280. This registration shall not authorize the sale of legend drugs or controlled substances.
     (4) An itinerant vendor may purchase ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers only from a wholesaler licensed by the department under RCW 18.64.046 or from a manufacturer licensed by the department under RCW 18.64.045.
     (5) No itinerant vendor may sell any quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, if the total monthly sales of these products exceed ten percent of the itinerant vendor's total prior monthly sales of nonprescription drugs in March through October. In November through February, no itinerant vendor may sell any quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, if the total monthly sales of these products exceed twenty percent of the itinerant vendor's total prior monthly sales of nonprescription drugs. For purposes of this section, monthly sales means total dollars paid by buyers. The board may suspend or revoke the registration of an itinerant vendor who violates this subsection.
     (6) Itinerant vendors shall maintain inventory records of the receipt and disposition of nonprescription drugs in the form and manner required by the board. These records shall be available for inspection by the board or any law enforcement agency and shall be maintained for two years. The board may suspend or revoke the registration of an itinerant vendor who violates this subsection.

Sec. 5   RCW 69.43.110 and 2001 c 96 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) It is unlawful for a pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or an employee thereof, or a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011, knowingly to sell, transfer, or to otherwise furnish, in a single transaction:
     (a) More than three packages of one or more products that he or she knows to contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers; or
     (b) A single package of any product that he or she knows to contain more than three grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, or a combination of any of these substances.
     (2) It is unlawful for a person who is not a manufacturer, wholesaler, pharmacy, practitioner, shopkeeper, or itinerant vendor licensed by or registered with the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW to purchase or acquire, in any twenty-four hour period, more than the quantities of the substances specified in subsection (1) of this section.
     (3) It is unlawful for any person to sell or distribute any of the substances specified in subsection (1) of this section unless the person is licensed by or registered with the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or is a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011.
     (4) A violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.

Sec. 6   RCW 69.43.035 and 2001 c 96 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any manufacturer or wholesaler who sells, transfers, or otherwise furnishes any substance specified in RCW 69.43.010(1) to any person in a suspicious transaction shall report the transaction in writing to the state board of pharmacy.
     (2) Any person specified in subsection (1) of this section who does not submit a report as required by subsection (1) of this section is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "suspicious transaction" means a sale or transfer to which any of the following applies:
     (a) The circumstances of the sale or transfer would lead a reasonable person to believe that the substance is likely to be used for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing a controlled substance under chapter 69.50 RCW, based on such factors as the amount involved, the method of payment, the method of delivery, and any past dealings with any participant in the transaction. The state board of pharmacy shall adopt by rule criteria for determining whether a transaction is suspicious, taking into consideration the recommendations in appendix A of the report to the United States attorney general by the suspicious orders task force under the federal comprehensive methamphetamine control act of 1996.
     (b) The transaction involves payment for any substance specified in RCW 69.43.010(1) in cash or money orders in a total amount of more than two hundred dollars.
     (4) The board of pharmacy shall transmit to the department of revenue a copy of each report of a suspicious transaction that it receives under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   This act takes effect July 1, 2004.