Amendment #837 to H3400

Pharmacy Board Transparency

Mr. Sánchez of Boston moves to amend the bill in section 2, in item 4510-0722, by adding the following:- “provided, that the board shall submit a report to the joint committee on public health by December 31, 2013, and annually thereafter,  detailing the investigatory and disciplinary actions conducted by the board; provided further, that the initial report shall detail the investigatory and disciplinary actions conducted by the board  from September 1, 2012 through December 1, 2013, provided further, that the report shall detail a) each complaint received by the board or initiated by the board, b) the date of the complaint, c) the violation alleged, and d) whether or not a case file was opened and the complaint was referred to a board investigator; provided further, that the report shall further detail, for those complaints that resulted in an opened and docketed case file, a) the docket number, b) the name and license number of the licensees involved, c) a chronological account of the board actions taken during the investigation, d) the name of any state or federal agencies that collaborated with investigation, e) a summary of and rationale for the final decision of the board to dismiss the complaint, impose an informal sanction or penalty, impose a formal penalty or sanction, or amend a previously issued penalty or sanction, and f) whether or not the board reported the result of its investigation to another state board, federal agency or external entity; provided further, that the board shall prepare a compilation of cases involving preventable medical error that resulted in harm to a patient or health care provider for the purpose of assisting health care providers, hospitals and pharmacies to modify their practices and techniques to avoid error; and provided further, that the board shall submit the compilation to the joint committee on public health and the commissioner of the department of public health by December 31, 2013, and annually thereafter, and shall make the compilation widely available, including by electronic means, to the public and to all hospitals, pharmacies and health care providers doing business in the commonwealth.”