BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 470|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) |Version: |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 470
Author: Corbett (D)
Amended: 4/30/09
Vote: 21
SENATE BUS., PROF. & ECON. DEVEL. COMMITTEE : 8-0, 4/20/09
AYES: Negrete McLeod, Aanestad, Corbett, Correa, Florez,
Oropeza, Romero, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland, Yee
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Prescriptions
SOURCE : California Board of Pharmacy
DIGEST : This bill permits, if requested by patients, the
purpose of the prescribed medication to be listed on
prescription drug labels.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacies,
pharmacists and wholesalers of dangerous drugs or
devices by the California State Board of Pharmacy
(Board) in the Department of Consumer Affairs.
2. Requires dispensed prescription drugs to be stored in
CONTINUED
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specified containers and correctly labeled with the
following information:
(1) The trade name of the drug or the generic and
the name of the manufacturer.
(2) The directions for the use of the drug.
(3) The name of the patient.
(4) The name of the prescriber.
(5) The date of issue.
(6) The name and address of the pharmacy and the
prescription number.
(7) The strength of the drug.
(8) The quantity of the drug or drugs dispensed.
(9) The expiration date of the effectiveness of
the drug.
(10) The condition for which the drug was
prescribed if requested by the patient and the
condition is indicated on the prescription.
This bill revises the current prescription drug labeling
requirement to permit the label to include information on
the purpose of the prescribed medication instead of the
condition for which it is prescribed if requested by the
patient.
Background
As part of the SB 472 (Corbett), Chapter 470, Statutes of
2007 mandate, the Board was required to seek information
from specified groups and to consider that information in
the development of patient-centered drug label
requirements. Over the last two years, the Board held
public meetings, attended community events and conducted
consumer surveys designed to elicit information from
consumers. The Board reports that a majority of surveyed
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consumers have so far expressed a desire to have the
purpose of the medication included on the label.
In 2006, the Medication Errors Panel's report entitled
Prescription for Improving Patient Safety: Addressing
Medication Errors examined the causes of medication errors
in outpatient settings and made a number of recommendations
to reduce errors associated with prescription and
over-the-counter medication use. The Panel, created by SCR
49 (Speier), of 2005, consisted of four legislators (two
from each house) and 13 individuals representing academia,
consumer advocacy groups, health professions (medicine,
nursing, public health and pharmacy) health plans,
community pharmacies and the pharmaceutical industry. One
of the Panel's recommendations to improve communication
between prescribers, pharmacists and patients was to
include the drugs' purpose on the prescription label.
According to the Journal of the American Medical
Association, 46 percent of adults cannot understand the
information listed on their prescription drug labels.
Furthermore, the Institute of Medicine of the National
Academies, medication errors are among the most common
medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people
annually and senior citizens are especially vulnerable.
Families USA reports that 90 percent of Medicare patients
take medications for chronic conditions with nearly half of
them taking five or more medications a day. Given the
large numbers of prescriptions that may be prescribed, it
is not easily discernable what the purpose for each of
these medications is. This increases the chances that a
patient may take the wrong medication increasing the
likelihood of serious injury or death.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/4/09)
California Board of Pharmacy (source)
California Medical Association
California Retailers Association
California Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Kaiser
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Medical Board of California
University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy
OPPOSITION : (Verified >)
>
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The Board and the California
Society of Health-System Pharmacists state this bill will
make prescription labels more meaningful to consumers,
improve medication adherence and reduce medication errors.
The Medical Board of California writes in support of this
bill as they state it will enhance consumer protections by
requiring the physician to include the intended purpose of
the drug on the prescription label and will help patients,
caregivers and any other people who assist patients in
administering medication to prevent illness or death due to
medication errors. Additionally, the University of
California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy also supports
this bill as it "is straightforward and irrefutably
beneficial to patient safety."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : >
JJA:do 5/5/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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