Senate Leadership
July 7, 2009
New Laws Will Help Protect Families From Errors at the Pharmacy
Electronic prescriptions & and increased transparency to help consumers stay safe and informed
Getting a prescription filled at a pharmacy in Connecticut will get easier and safer this year, thanks to two bills supported by Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Co-Chair of General Law Committee Senator Thomas Colapietro (D-Bristol).
Public Act 09-150, An Act Concerning a Pharmacy Error Database and Pharmacy Commission Meeting Minutes, will ensure that consumers have the right to know which pharmacies have been disciplined for errors in dispensing medication.
“This law originated from one of my constituents, who discovered that in Connecticut citizens aren’t allowed to see safety information and data related to pharmacy errors,” said Senator Looney. “This important legislation will provide increased transparency and allow more informed decision making by consumers.”
The law allows the Department of Consumer Protection, the Pharmacy Commission, and the Department of Public Health to publicly identify individuals or institutions when it relates to a proceeding where the commission has voted to formally discipline a licensed pharmacist or pharmacy for an error in dispensing medication.
“At present, there is no way for consumers to discover which pharmacists and pharmacies have the best or worst safety records,” said Senator Looney. “The state maintains public files for health care providers so patients can conduct their own research and I believe we should do the same for pharmacists and pharmacies.”
Public Act 09-22, An Act Concerning the Practice of Pharmacy and Electronic Prescriptions, allows pharmacies to maintain prescriptions electronically and allows physicians to transmit Schedule II drugs — narcotics — to pharmacies electronically once proposed changes in federal regulations are approved.
“Connecticut patients should feel confident that the prescriptions they receive from their pharmacy are exactly what their doctor intended,” said Senator Colapietro. “Electronic filing and record keeping will make our pharmacies safer and more efficient.”
In testimony offered to the General Law Committee in February, Jerry Farrell, Jr., Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection, said, “This new law will reduce the number of medication errors caused by illegible handwriting by allowing the expanded use of electronic transmission of prescriptions from physician to pharmacy. It will also result in improved efficiency, accuracy and a reduction in costs.”
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Senator Williams’ Derek Slap |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Derek Slap |
