SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1194        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 855

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to Promote the Elimination of Medication Waste in Certain State Facilities.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The department of public health, in conjunction with the board of registration in pharmacy and the division of medical assistance, shall establish and implement methods to reduce medication waste in facilities licensed by the departments of public health, mental health and corrections. The department shall establish such methods, based on its review, that are determined to be effective in reducing waste without imposing unreasonable costs on the health care delivery system. Such methods may be based on, but not be limited to, the following: (1) current technology, standards and reimbursement mechanisms for dispensing and distributing medications to facilities; (2) other states' requirements for limiting prescription drug waste and any cost savings realized; (3) the commonwealth's standards for the return and re-dispensing of patient-specific schedule VI prescription drugs; and (4) possible incentive mechanisms to prevent the creation of prescription drug waste.