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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 29, 2016 03:33 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ryan E. Mackenzie |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Emergency Prescription Law |
| I will soon be introducing companion legislation to Senator Browne’s proposed “Emergency Prescription Law” that will amend the Pennsylvania Pharmacy Act. This legislation will allow a pharmacist to dispense emergency prescription refills for up to thirty days, following certain restrictions. Specifically, this legislation provides that an individual who is dependent upon a life sustaining medication, essential to maintaining a consistent drug therapy, may receive a thirty day refill without a prescription only if the medication is not a controlled substance. Currently, a pharmacist may only refill a prescription limited to a seventy-two hour emergency supply. Unfortunately, certain medications, such as insulin, are not available in a seventy-two hour supply. It should be noted that this legislation would not affect the current restrictions already in place for a pharmacist when dispensing an emergency prescription. The Pennsylvania Pharmacy Act requires that a pharmacist must first attempt to obtain an authorization from the prescriber before dispensing. In addition, the pharmacist must determine that an interruption of the drug therapy would result in an undesirable health consequence including physical or mental discomfort or a life-threatening situation. Once the prescription is filled, a pharmacist would have seventy-two hours to notify the prescriber that an emergency supply was dispensed. This legislation is so important because it could prevent the unnecessary interruption of an individual’s essential drug therapy during an emergency situation. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. |