| 1 | 1 | | |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5633 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | LC001849 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- PHARMACIES |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives McGaw, Boylan, Speakman, Kislak, Casimiro, Casey, |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | DeSimone, Tanzi, Edwards, and Donovan |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: February 26, 2025 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House Health & Human Services |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 5-19.1 of the General Laws entitled "Pharmacies" is hereby amended 1 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | 5-19.1-37. Continuation of therapy prescription refill. 3 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (a) In the event a pharmacist receives a request for a prescription refill, and the pharmacist 4 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | is unable to readily obtain refill authorization from the prescriber, or the patient does not have a 5 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | prescriber, the pharmacist may dispense a one-time refill for continuation of therapy, up to, but no 6 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | more than one hundred (100) days of the prescribed medication provided that: 7 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (1) The prescription is not for a drug in Schedule II-V appearing in chapter 28 of title 21 8 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | ("uniform controlled substances act"); 9 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (2) The medication is essential to the maintenance of life or to the continuation of therapy 10 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | of a chronic condition; 11 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (3) In the pharmacist's professional judgment, the interruption of therapy might reasonably 12 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | produce undesirable health consequences or may cause physical or mental discomfort; and 13 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (4) The dispensing pharmacist notifies the prescriber of the dispensing within seven (7) 14 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | business days. If no current prescriber exists, the pharmacist shall document such in their internal 15 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | record keeping system. 16 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | LC001849 - Page 2 of 3 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 1 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | ======== |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | LC001849 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | ======== |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | LC001849 - Page 3 of 3 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | EXPLANATION |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | OF |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- PHARMACIES |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | *** |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | This act would allow a pharmacist to dispense a one-time refill for certain medications for 1 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | continuation of therapy to patients under certain circumstances. 2 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | This act would take effect on July 1, 2025. 3 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | ======== |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | LC001849 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | ======== |
|---|