S.B. 203

1

PRESCRIPTION LABEL INFORMATION AND EDUCATION
2 AMENDMENTS
3 2013 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Patricia W. Jones
6 House Sponsor: ____________
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill directs the Department of Health to establish an education outreach program
11 that would encourage the inclusion of information on prescription drug labels that
12 would aid emergency responders with patient condition identification and benefit
13 physicians and consumers.
14 Highlighted Provisions:
15 This bill:
16 . directs the Department of Health to establish an education program that would
17 encourage prescribers, pharmacists, and pharmacy interns to include information
18 relating to the condition the prescription is meant to treat on certain prescription
19 drug labels; and
20 . directs prescribers to encourage pharmacists and pharmacy interns to include
21 information relating to the condition the prescription is meant to treat on certain
22 prescription drug labels.
23 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
24 None
25 Other Special Clauses:
26 None
27 Utah Code Sections Affected:

28 AMENDS:
29 58-17b-602, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 151
30 ENACTS:
31 26-8a-210, Utah Code Annotated 1953
32
33 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
34 Section 1. Section 26-8a-210 is enacted to read:
35 26-8a-210. Information on prescription labels -- Education outreach.
36 The department, in order to assist emergency responders in quickly determining the
37 physical condition of a patient at the scene of an emergency, as well as for the benefit of
38 physicians and consumers, shall:
39 (1) develop and implement a program to educate and encourage prescribers,
40 pharmacists, and pharmacy interns to include information on the label of a drug dispensed
41 under Section 58-17b-602 describing the condition the prescription is meant to treat; and
42 (2) specify in the program that information described in Subsection (1) not be included
43 on the label if:
44 (a) the prescription order does not include a refill; or
45 (b) the prescriber or patient indicates that the information may not be included on the
46 label.
47 Section 2. Section 58-17b-602 is amended to read:
48 58-17b-602. Prescription orders -- Information required -- Alteration -- Labels --
49 Signatures -- Dispensing in pharmacies.
50 (1) Except as provided in Section 58-1-501.3 , the minimum information that shall be
51 included in a prescription order, and that may be defined by rule, is:
52 (a) the prescriber's name, address, and telephone number, and, if the order is for a
53 controlled substance, the patient's age and the prescriber's DEA number;
54 (b) the patient's name and address or, in the case of an animal, the name of the owner
55 and species of the animal;
56 (c) the date of issuance;
57 (d) the name of the medication or device prescribed and dispensing instructions, if
58 necessary;

59 (e) the directions, if appropriate, for the use of the prescription by the patient or animal
60 and any refill, special labeling, or other instructions;
61 (f) the prescriber's signature if the prescription order is written;
62 (g) if the order is an electronically transmitted prescription order, the prescribing
63 practitioner's electronic signature; and
64 (h) if the order is a hard copy prescription order generated from electronic media, the
65 prescribing practitioner's electronic or manual signature.
66 (2) The requirement of Subsection (1)(a) does not apply to prescription orders
67 dispensed for inpatients by hospital pharmacies if the prescriber is a current member of the
68 hospital staff and the prescription order is on file in the patient's medical record.
69 (3) Unless it is for a Schedule II controlled substance, a prescription order may be
70 dispensed by a pharmacist or pharmacy intern upon an oral prescription of a practitioner only if
71 the oral prescription is promptly reduced to writing.
72 (4) (a) Except as provided under Subsection (4)(b), a pharmacist or pharmacy intern
73 may not dispense or compound any prescription of a practitioner if the prescription shows
74 evidence of alteration, erasure, or addition by any person other than the person writing the
75 prescription.
76 (b) A pharmacist or pharmacy intern dispensing or compounding a prescription may
77 alter or make additions to the prescription after receiving permission of the prescriber and may
78 make entries or additions on the prescription required by law or necessitated in the
79 compounding and dispensing procedures.
80 (5) Each drug dispensed shall have a label securely affixed to the container indicating
81 the following minimum information:
82 (a) the name, address, and telephone number of the pharmacy;
83 (b) the serial number of the prescription as assigned by the dispensing pharmacy;
84 (c) the filling date of the prescription or its last dispensing date;
85 (d) the name of the patient, or in the case of an animal, the name of the owner and
86 species of the animal;
87 (e) the name of the prescriber;
88 (f) the directions for use and cautionary statements, if any, which are contained in the
89 prescription order or are needed;

90 (g) except as provided in Subsection (6), the trade, generic, or chemical name, amount
91 dispensed and the strength of dosage form, but if multiple ingredient products with established
92 proprietary or nonproprietary names are prescribed, those products' names may be used; and
93 (h) the beyond use date.
94 (6) If the prescriber specifically indicates the name of the prescription product should
95 not appear on the label, then any of the trade, generic, chemical, established proprietary, and
96 established nonproprietary names and the strength of dosage form may not be included.
97 (7) Prescribers shall encourage pharmacists and pharmacy interns to include on
98 prescription labels the information described in Section 26-8a-210 in accordance with the
99 provisions of that section.
100 [(7)] (8) Except when it is delivered to the ultimate user via the United States Postal
101 Service, licensed common carrier, or supportive personnel, a prescription drug may be
102 dispensed to the ultimate user or his agent only at a licensed pharmacy.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-15-13 10:48 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

[Bill Documents]