Budget Amendment ID: FY2016-S3-897

EHS 897

Patient Medication Adherence

Mr. Kennedy moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting, after section __, the following new section:-

“SECTION __. (a) The department of public health shall implement a two-year institutional pharmacy discharge medication pilot program for the purposes of ensuring patient medication adherence; provided that the department shall define institutional pharmacies as retail pharmacies for the purposes of implementing the program.  Such a program shall: (1) allow institutional pharmacies to be treated like retail pharmacies for the purposes of providing medication to a patient at the time of discharge; and (2) allow hospitals licensed pursuant to section 51 of Chapter 111 of the General Laws and hospital pharmacists that hold a current license to practice pharmacy in the commonwealth to provide a 14-day supply of medication to a patient at the time of discharge and to perform medication review, reconciliation and counseling.

(b) If at the end of the 2-year pilot the department of public health determines that the program has improved medication adherence, the department of public health shall remove any regulatory barriers that prohibit such a program from expanding.”