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Today, State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford), Senate Chair of the General Law Committee, led the Senate’s passage of legislation that will streamline and ease several practices for pharmacists. The bill, among other actions, will allow licensed manufacturers and wholesalers to sell hypodermic needles and syringes directly to licensed advanced practice registered nurses, optometrists and physician assistants and will require pharmaceutical marketing firms to report lists of the representatives they employ to the Department of Consumer Protection.
“This legislation makes important changes to drug control statutes across the state, which will improve provision of treatments and medications by pharmacists,” said Sen. Maroney. “It represents several important steps forward that will ease complicated processes and improve oversight and access to important tools.”
Senate Bill 202, “An Act Concerning The Department of Consumer Protection’s Recommendations Regarding Prescription Drug Control,” would take steps including permitting manufacturers and wholesalers to sell hypodermic needles and syringes, in addition to physicians, dentists, veterinarians and other groups of approved workers, to licensed advanced practice registered nurses, optometrists and physician assistants.
The law would also require pharmaceutical marketing firms to report lists of their representatives to the Department of Consumer Protection and certain information about their activities, including individuals who are not directly employed by them. These firms would also have to disclose drug list prices and variation efficacies marketed to different racial and ethnic groups.
People who distribute or dispense controlled substances in Connecticut would be required to make medical evaluation records associated with dispensing, administering or prescribing controlled substances available to the DCP for inspection and eliminates an overlapping prohibition on automatic reciprocal discipline of pharmacists disciplined in other states solely for assisting in provision of an abortion.
Before its passage by the Senate today, this legislation passed the General Law Committee by a unanimous tally of 22-0 on March 7. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Caption: Sen. Maroney speaks on the Senate floor Tuesday. |
