Directs the commissioner of health to make regulations for the donation and redispensing of unused prescription drugs

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to unused prescription drug donation and redispensing

Purpose

This bill would allow Department of Health authorized health care facilities to donate unused prescription medications, in tamper-evident packaging, for redispensing by a pharmacist or prescriber to uninsured and underinsured New Yorkers.

Summary of provisions

Section one adds section 280-b to Public Health Law to allow Department of Health approved health care facilities to donate unused prescription medications for redispensing to eligible individuals by an authorized pharmacist or prescriber on a voluntary basis.

Section two provides that this act shall take effect immediately.

Justification

An estimated 50 million Americans skip filling their prescriptions due to cost in the United States. Despite the lack of access to prescription drugs for millions of Americans, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America estimates that up to 13%, or 1.5 million pounds, of prescription medications go unused in health care facilities each year. The required destruction of prescription medications not only affects those in need of these very drugs but also has potential environmental ramifications. Traditional methods of disposing of unwanted prescription medications may be harmful to the environment and public health.

A prescription drug donation and redispensing program in New York would provide uninsured and underinsured individuals with the medications needed to stay healthy while also reducing pharmaceutical waste. The program would allow health care facilities to donate their unused medications, in tamper-evident packaging, to pharmacies and clinics offering redispensing services to eligible populations.

Currently, 38 states have enacted laws allowing for the reuse, at the institutional level, of unused prescription medications. Several states, such as California, have utilized organizations that connect donor facilities and redispensing facilities directly, resulting in a safe and efficient method of prescription medication redistribution. A drug donation and redispensing program can help mitigate health care costs associated with prescription medication noncompliance by increasing access to necessary medications for all New Yorkers.

Legislative history

New bill

Fiscal implications

None

Effective date

Immediately