Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Health Care & Wellness Committee |
ESSB 5460
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Allowing practitioners to prescribe and distribute prepackaged emergency medications to emergency room patients when a pharmacy is not available.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Senators Parlette, Cleveland, Rivers, Keiser, Angel, Chase and Bailey).
Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 3/18/15
Staff: Chris Blake (786-7392).
Background:
Under Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission rules, the director of pharmacy at a hospital must develop policies and procedures to provide emergency medications to outpatients for times when community or hospital pharmacy services are not available. Under these policies, designated registered nurses may deliver medications other than controlled substances. The policies must require that an order of a practitioner with prescriptive authority be presented and retained for verification by the pharmacist; the medication be prepackaged and appropriately labeled; no more than a 24-hour supply be provided to the patient; the container be labeled by the designated registered nurse; and the medications be stored in a secure place. The procedures do not apply to controlled substances, except in 10 specified rural hospitals.
Summary of Bill:
When community pharmacies and outpatient hospital services are not available within 15 miles by road, a hospital may allow prepackaged emergency medications for patients being discharged from the emergency department to be prescribed by practitioners with prescriptive authority and distributed by practitioners with prescriptive authority and registered nurses.
The director of the hospital pharmacy must develop policies and procedures regarding the types of emergency medications to be prepackaged; the preparation of the emergency medications by, or under the supervision of, a pharmacist; the criteria under which prepackaged emergency medications may be prescribed and distributed; the training requirements for staff; the maintenance of prescriptions; the storage of the medications; and patient counseling on the medications. In addition, the policies must establish a limit of a 48-hour supply of the emergency medications, except when a community pharmacy or the hospital pharmacy will not be available within 48 hours, in which case a 96-hour supply may be dispensed. The delivery of a single dose of medication for immediate administration is exempt from the requirements.
The term "emergency medication" is defined as medication commonly prescribed to emergency department patients and includes controlled substances.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.