The bill aims to expand the circumstances under which medications can be dispensed or delivered from hospitals and healthcare entities in Washington state. It amends existing laws to allow practitioners with prescriptive authority to prescribe limited amounts of prepackaged emergency medications to patients being discharged from hospital emergency departments when access to community or outpatient pharmacy services is unavailable. The bill specifies that these emergency medications may include drugs for opioid overdose reversal, treatment for opioid use disorder, human immunodeficiency virus postexposure prophylaxis, anti-infectives, and other prepackaged medications. It also outlines the conditions under which hospitals can distribute these medications, including the requirement for hospital pharmacy directors to develop policies and procedures for their use.

Additionally, the bill modifies the regulations surrounding the dispensing of legend drugs and controlled substances by healthcare entities. It maintains that these entities must be licensed and operate under the supervision of a pharmacist. The legislation allows practitioners to dispense medications for personal use in amounts not exceeding 72 hours, with exceptions for specific circumstances such as the unavailability of pharmacy services or the need for certain medications. The bill also clarifies that healthcare entities cannot bill separately for drugs dispensed under these new provisions.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 70.41.480, 18.64.450
Substitute Bill: 70.41.480, 18.64.450
Bill as Passed Legislature: 70.41.480, 18.64.450
Session Law: 70.41.480, 18.64.450