BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 470
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 8, 2009 

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                   SB 470 (Corbett) - As Amended:  April 30, 2009  

          Policy Committee:                              HealthVote:19-0 
                        Business & Professions                    10-0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill authorizes, if requested by a patient, a prescription  
          label to include the purpose of the prescribed medication,  
          rather than the condition for which the medication is  
          prescribed. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Absorbable workload to the California Board of Pharmacy to  
          continue oversight of prescription medication labeling. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose .  This bill is sponsored by the Board of Pharmacy to  
            authorize the purpose of the medication to be provided on a  
            prescription bottle, rather than just the condition for which  
            the medication is prescribed. According to the author and  
            sponsor, this additional information may reduce medication  
            errors and confusion and reduce the number of inquiries to  
            physicians and pharmacists about the purpose of medications.  
            When patients are prescribed several medications for various  
            conditions, they sometimes confuse medications. 

           2)Background  .  Current law includes the licensing, regulation,  
            and enforcement of the practice of pharmacy by the Board of  
            Pharmacy. Current law prohibits a pharmacist from dispensing a  
            prescription except in a container that meets the specific  
            requirements of state and federal law and that is labeled with  
            the condition for which the drug was prescribed, if requested  
            by the patient.  









                                                                  SB 470
                                                                  Page  2

           3)Related Legislation  . SB 472 (Corbett), Chapter 470, Statutes  
            of 2007, requires the Board of Pharmacy to promulgate  
            regulations that establishes a standardized, patient-centered,  
            prescription drug label for medications dispensed to patients  
            in California. The Board of Pharmacy is currently working on  
            this standardization. This bill expands this effort to include  
            the purpose on the label, upon request. 


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081