Restricts retail sale of ipecac syrup to behind the pharmacy counter or under manager control

BILL NUMBER:S3102

Title of bill

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to restricting access to ipecac syrup

Purpose

To restrict the access to retail sale of ipecac.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 amends the general business law by adding a new section 391-r which restricts the access to retail sale of ipecac.

Justification

Ipecac syrup has long been distributed for emergency use to induce vomiting in poisoning cases. Recent years have seen an increase in. ipecac abuse among sufferers of bulimia, anorexia and binge eating disorder. While ipecac is often effective in inducing emesis and decreasing the absorption of poisonous toxins, its side effects and abuse potential offer cause for concern.

Repeated use and abuse of ipecac syrup has been linked to skin conditions, cardiac and skeletal muscle weakness, and electrolyte imbalance, with sometimes fatal results. An emerging consensus among many professional medical groups is that syrup of ipecac should no longer be used routinely as a poison treatment in the home. U.S.A. poison centers have also markedly reduced their use of ipecac syrup over the previous decade and, on June 12, 2003, the Food and Drug Administration's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee recommended by a vote of six to four that the FDA rescind ipecac's over-the-counter status.

This legislation seeks to regulate the availability of, and access to, this noxious powerful emetic.

Legislative history

05/06/09 passed Assembly 02/01/10 passed Assembly 01/07/09 referred to health 01/22/09 reported referred to codes 04/21/09 reported 04/23/09 advanced to third reading cal.349 05/06/09 passed assembly 05/06/09 delivered to senate 05/06/09 REFERRED TO HEALTH 01/06/10 DIED IN SENATE 01/06/10 RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY 01/06/10 ordered to third reading cal.42 02/01/10 passed assembly 02/01/10 delivered to senate 02/01/10 REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION 03/08/10 recalled from senate 03/08/10 RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY 03/08/10 vote reconsidered - restored to third reading 03/08/10 amended on third reading (t) 544a

03/22/10 amended on third reading 544b 05/11/10 repassed assembly 05/11/10 returned to senate

Fiscal implications

None to the State.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that the rules and regulations necessary to implement section one of this act shall be promulgated and take effect on or before the one hundred eightieth day after this act shall have become law.