SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1588        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1096

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Susan C. Fargo

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to ensure the availability of medications in time of an emergency.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Susan C. Fargo

 


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1588        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1096

By Ms. Fargo, petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1096) of Fargo for legislation to ensure the availability of medications in time of an emergency [Joint Committee on Public Health].

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 812 OF 2009-2010.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

An Act to ensure the availability of medications in time of an emergency.

 

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. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 25I the following section:-

Section 25J. The department, in order to guarantee the health and safety of citizens dependent up on medication, shall develop and widely publicize a statewide plan for making prescription medications available anytime a state of emergency is declared by the governor. The plan shall include provisions for insurance coverage for replacement of prescription medication lost or destroyed during the emergency and prescriptions that have expired; a reasonable substitute will be prescribed and provided at no added cost to the citizen when local pharmacies are unable to meet medication requirements and or until such a time as the original prescription is again made available; the inability to obtain medications due to the breakdown or failure of transportation systems.  The department will also create a safety net system including a toll-free number (Voice and TTY) for citizens to call during the emergency for assistance in locating life-sustaining medications, in the event no medications are available to them locally.