HOUSE BILL No. 5549

 

February 17, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Gaffney, Ward, Lipsey, Wojno, Hune, DeRoche, Stahl, O'Neil, Rocca, Farrah, Plakas, Woronchak, Adamini, Stakoe, Hardman and Daniels and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Public health code,"                                                       

                                                                                

    by amending section 7333 (MCL 333.7333), as amended by 2001 PA              

                                                                                

    231.                                                                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 7333.  (1) As used in this section, "good faith" means                 

                                                                                

2   the prescribing or dispensing of a controlled substance by a                

                                                                                

3   practitioner licensed under section 7303 in the regular course of           

                                                                                

4   professional treatment to or for an individual who is under                 

                                                                                

5   treatment by the practitioner for a pathology or condition other            

                                                                                

6   than that individual's physical or psychological dependence upon            

                                                                                

7   or addiction to a controlled substance, except as provided in               

                                                                                

8   this article.  Application of good faith to a pharmacist means              

                                                                                

9   the dispensing of a controlled substance pursuant to a                      

                                                                                

10  prescriber's order which, in the professional judgment of the               

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   pharmacist, is lawful.  The pharmacist shall be guided by                   

                                                                                

2   nationally accepted professional standards including, but not               

                                                                                

3   limited to, all of the following, in making the judgment:                   

                                                                                

4       (a) Lack of consistency in the doctor-patient relationship.                 

                                                                                

5       (b) Frequency of prescriptions for the same drug by 1                       

                                                                                

6   prescriber for larger numbers of patients.                                  

                                                                                

7       (c) Quantities beyond those normally prescribed for the same                

                                                                                

8   drug.                                                                       

                                                                                

9       (d) Unusual dosages.                                                        

                                                                                

10      (e) Unusual geographic distances between patient, pharmacist,               

                                                                                

11  and prescriber.                                                             

                                                                                

12      (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a                         

                                                                                

13  practitioner, in good faith, may dispense a controlled substance            

                                                                                

14  included in schedule 2 upon receipt of a prescription of a                  

                                                                                

15  practitioner licensed under section 7303 on a prescription form.            

                                                                                

16  A practitioner shall not issue more than 1 prescription for a               

                                                                                

17  controlled substance included in schedule 2 on a single                     

                                                                                

18  prescription form.                                                          

                                                                                

19      (3) In an emergency situation, as described in R 338.3165 of                

                                                                                

20  the Michigan administrative code, a controlled substance included           

                                                                                

21  in schedule 2 may be dispensed upon the oral prescription of a              

                                                                                

22  practitioner if, the prescribing practitioner promptly fills out            

                                                                                

23  a prescription form and forwards the prescription form to the               

                                                                                

24  dispensing pharmacy within 7 days after the oral prescription is            

                                                                                

25  issued.  Except for a terminally ill patient whose terminal                 

                                                                                

26  illness the pharmacist documents pursuant to rules promulgated by           

                                                                                

27  the administrator, a prescription for a controlled substance                


                                                                                

1   included in schedule 2 shall not be filled more than 60 days                

                                                                                

2   after the date on which the prescription was issued.  A                     

                                                                                

3   prescription for a controlled substance included in schedule 2              

                                                                                

4   for a terminally ill patient whose terminal illness the                     

                                                                                

5   pharmacist documents pursuant to rules promulgated by the                   

                                                                                

6   administrator may be partially filled in increments for not more            

                                                                                

7   than 60 days after the date on which the prescription was                   

                                                                                

8   issued.                                                                     

                                                                                

9       (4) A practitioner, in good faith, may dispense a controlled                

                                                                                

10  substance included in schedule 3, 4, or 5 that is a prescription            

                                                                                

11  drug as determined under section 503(b) of the federal food,                

                                                                                

12  drug, and cosmetic act,  chapter 675, 52 Stat.  1051, 21                    

                                                                                

13  U.S.C. 353  21 USC 353, or section 17708, upon receipt of a                 

                                                                                

14  prescription on a prescription form or an oral prescription of a            

                                                                                

15  practitioner.  A prescription for a controlled substance included           

                                                                                

16  in schedule 3 or 4 shall not be filled or refilled without                  

                                                                                

17  specific refill instructions noted by the prescriber.  A                    

                                                                                

18  prescription for a controlled substance included in schedule 3 or           

                                                                                

19  4 shall not be filled or refilled later than 6 months after the             

                                                                                

20  date of the prescription or be refilled more than 5 times, unless           

                                                                                

21  renewed by the prescriber in accordance with rules promulgated by           

                                                                                

22  the administrator.                                                          

                                                                                

23      (5) A controlled substance included in schedule 5 shall not                 

                                                                                

24  be distributed or dispensed other than for a medical purpose, or            

                                                                                

25  in any manner except in accordance with rules promulgated by the            

                                                                                

26  administrator.                                                              

                                                                                

27      (6) If a prescription is required under this section, the                   


                                                                                

1   prescription shall contain the quantity of the controlled                   

                                                                                

2   substance prescribed in both written and numerical terms.  A                

                                                                                

3   prescription is in compliance with this subsection if, in                   

                                                                                

4   addition to containing the quantity of the controlled substance             

                                                                                

5   prescribed in written terms, it contains preprinted numbers                 

                                                                                

6   representative of the quantity of the controlled substance                  

                                                                                

7   prescribed next to which is a box or line the prescriber may                

                                                                                

8   check.                                                                      

                                                                                

9       (7) A prescribing practitioner shall not use a prescription                 

                                                                                

10  form for a purpose other than prescribing.  A prescribing                   

                                                                                

11  practitioner shall not postdate a prescription form that contains           

                                                                                

12  a prescription for a controlled substance.  A prescriber may                

                                                                                

13  transmit a prescription by facsimile of a printed prescription              

                                                                                

14  form and by electronic transmission of a printed prescription               

                                                                                

15  form, if not prohibited by federal law.  If, with the patient's             

                                                                                

16  consent, a prescription is electronically transmitted under this            

                                                                                

17  subsection or subsection (8), it shall be transmitted directly to           

                                                                                

18  a pharmacy of the patient's choice by the prescriber or the                 

                                                                                

19  prescriber's authorized agent, and the data shall not be altered,           

                                                                                

20  modified, or extracted in the transmission process.                         

                                                                                

21      (8) If a prescription is handwritten, it shall be legibly                   

                                                                                

22  printed in a type not smaller than 10 point, written with ink or            

                                                                                

23  an indelible pencil, and signed by the prescriber.  A prescriber            

                                                                                

24  may transmit a handwritten prescription by facsimile or any other           

                                                                                

25  electronic transmission, if not prohibited by federal law.                  

                                                                                

26      (9)  (8)  Notwithstanding subsections (1) to (5), a dog pound               

                                                                                

27  or animal shelter licensed or registered by the department of               


                                                                                

1   agriculture pursuant to 1969 PA 287, MCL 287.331 to 287.340, or a           

                                                                                

2   class B dealer may acquire a limited permit only for the purpose            

                                                                                

3   of buying, possessing, and administering a commercially prepared,           

                                                                                

4   premixed solution of sodium pentobarbital to practice euthanasia            

                                                                                

5   on injured, sick, homeless, or unwanted domestic pets and other             

                                                                                

6   animals, if the dog pound or animal shelter or class B dealer               

                                                                                

7   does all of the following:                                                  

                                                                                

8       (a) Applies to the administrator for a permit in accordance                 

                                                                                

9   with rules promulgated under this part.  The application shall              

                                                                                

10  contain the name of the individual in charge of the day to day              

                                                                                

11  operations of the dog pound or animal shelter or class B dealer's           

                                                                                

12  facilities and the name of the individual responsible for                   

                                                                                

13  designating employees who will be practicing euthanasia on                  

                                                                                

14  animals pursuant to this act.                                               

                                                                                

15      (b) Complies with the rules promulgated by the administrator                

                                                                                

16  for the storage, handling, and use of commercially prepared,                

                                                                                

17  premixed solution of sodium pentobarbital to practice euthanasia            

                                                                                

18  on animals.  A record of use shall be maintained and shall be               

                                                                                

19  available for inspection.                                                   

                                                                                

20      (c) Certifies that an employee of the dog pound or animal                   

                                                                                

21  shelter or class B dealer has received, and can document                    

                                                                                

22  completion of, a minimum of 8 hours of training given by a                  

                                                                                

23  licensed veterinarian in the use of sodium pentobarbital to                 

                                                                                

24  practice euthanasia on animals pursuant to rules promulgated by             

                                                                                

25  the administrator, in consultation with the Michigan board of               

                                                                                

26  veterinary medicine as these rules relate to this training, and             

                                                                                

27  that only an individual described in this subdivision or an                 


                                                                                

1   individual otherwise permitted to use a controlled substance                

                                                                                

2   pursuant to this article will administer the commercially                   

                                                                                

3   prepared, premixed solution of sodium pentobarbital according to            

                                                                                

4   written procedures established by the dog pound or animal shelter           

                                                                                

5   or class B dealer.                                                          

                                                                                

6       (10)  (9)  The application described in subsection  (8)  (9)                

                                                                                

7   shall include the names and addresses of all individuals employed           

                                                                                

8   by the dog pound or animal shelter or class B dealer who have               

                                                                                

9   been trained as described in subsection  (8)(c)  (9)(c) and the             

                                                                                

10  name of the veterinarian who trained them.  The list of names and           

                                                                                

11  addresses shall be updated every 6 months.                                  

                                                                                

12      (11)  (10)  If a dog pound or animal shelter or class B                     

                                                                                

13  dealer issued a permit pursuant to subsection  (8)  (9) does not            

                                                                                

14  have in its employ an individual trained as described in                    

                                                                                

15  subsection  (8)(c)  (9)(c), the dog pound or animal shelter or              

                                                                                

16  class B dealer shall immediately notify the administrator and               

                                                                                

17  shall cease to administer any commercially prepared, premixed               

                                                                                

18  solution of sodium pentobarbital until the administrator is                 

                                                                                

19  notified that 1 of the following has occurred:                              

                                                                                

20      (a) An individual trained as described in subsection  (8)(c)                

                                                                                

21  (9)(c) has been hired by the dog pound or animal shelter or class           

                                                                                

22  B dealer.                                                                   

                                                                                

23      (b) An employee of the dog pound or animal shelter or class B               

                                                                                

24  dealer has been trained as described in subsection  (8)(c)                  

                                                                                

25  (9)(c).                                                                     

                                                                                

26      (12)  (11)  A veterinarian, including a veterinarian who                    

                                                                                

27  trains individuals as described in subsection  (8)(c)  (9)(c), is           


                                                                                

1   not civilly or criminally liable for the use of a commercially              

                                                                                

2   prepared, premixed solution of sodium pentobarbital by a dog                

                                                                                

3   pound or animal shelter or class B dealer unless the veterinarian           

                                                                                

4   is employed by or under contract with the dog pound or animal               

                                                                                

5   shelter or class B dealer and the terms of the veterinarian's               

                                                                                

6   employment or the contract require the veterinarian to be                   

                                                                                

7   responsible for the use or administration of the commercially               

                                                                                

8   prepared, premixed solution of sodium pentobarbital.                        

                                                                                

9       (13)  (12)  A person shall not knowingly use or permit the                  

                                                                                

10  use of a commercially prepared, premixed solution of sodium                 

                                                                                

11  pentobarbital in violation of this section.                                 

                                                                                

12      (14)  (13)  This section does not require that a veterinarian               

                                                                                

13  be employed by or under contract with a dog pound or animal                 

                                                                                

14  shelter or class B dealer to obtain, possess, or administer a               

                                                                                

15  commercially prepared, premixed solution of sodium pentobarbital            

                                                                                

16  pursuant to this section.                                                   

                                                                                

17      (15)  (14)  As used in this section, "class B dealer" means a               

                                                                                

18  class B dealer licensed by the United States department of                  

                                                                                

19  agriculture pursuant to the animal welfare act,  Public Law                 

                                                                                

20  89-544, 7 U.S.C. 2131 to 2147, 2149, and 2151 to 2159  7 USC 2131           

                                                                                

21  to 2159 and the department of agriculture pursuant to 1969                  

                                                                                

22  PA 224, MCL 287.381 to 287.395.