Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/13/2003 03:07 PM House HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 51-LABELING OF PRESCRIBED DRUGS Number 2127 CHAIR WILSON announced that the next bill the committee will hear is HOUSE BILL NO. 51, "An Act requiring pharmacists to include generic drug information on containers in which brand- name prescription drug orders are dispensed." Number 2148 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON, sponsor of HB 51, explained that the bill was generated from a public health and safety concern for many people across Alaska, especially senior citizens, who are having trouble with medications labeling. Representative Seaton told the members that prescription medications can be a brand name or generic name, and while the medication itself is the same, it does not have labeling which reflects that. He said that when an individual gets medication filled from a pharmacy and it is filled with a generic medication, the generic name will be on the label. However, most often, if the prescription is filled with a brand name, only the brand name will appear on the label. Representative Seaton told the committee that often individuals are double filling the medication because they do not notice the medications are the same. He said if an individual were only taking one pill with chronic illnesses it would not be as great a problem, but what has happened now is medicines have become much more prolific to treat specific parts of diseases, so people end up taking six, seven, eight, or more medications to treat their conditions. Number 2230 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said that he has talked to people who have double dosed their children who have chronic illnesses. He said the bill requires that any prescription that has a brand name must also have the generic name on the label to protect consumers by ensuring they can tell it is the same medicine. He said any brand name would also have the generic name on the label. Number 2250 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked the members to review the letters of support in the bill packet from groups such as AARP, Pioneer Homes' pharmacists, Aetna Insurance Company, senior citizen centers, and many more. Number 2267 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON pointed out research done by the Legislative Research Services, which found under the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices (ISMP) that 15 percent of reported medication errors are due to confusion because of drug names [found in the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations]. Representative Seaton said that according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the number of medication errors can be greatly reduced by doing 15 things, and one of those is to provide brand and generic names on all medication labels. Number 2290 REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked about the drug labeling print size. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said the size of the label is not addressed in the bill. He said the labels used as examples are actual copies of prescription labels. He said whenever the brand name of a medication is used, the generic name would also appear on the label. TAPE 03-13, SIDE B Number 2335 REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked Representative Seaton what "W/F" means? Number 2328 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said he does not know. Number 2321 CHAIR WILSON told the committee Representative Seaton has requested a friendly amendment, to his bill. Chair Wilson read the requested amendment, which said: on page 1, line 11, delete the word "below", and add the word "near." REPRESENTATIVE SEATON spoke to the amendment by saying the reason for this friendly amendment is to accommodate some computer programs that already have a space designated for the generic name when using a brand-name medication. That space may be above, below, or beside the brand name. The intent in the bill is to make sure the consumers have the information, and it is not necessary that it conform to a particular format. Number 2259 REPRESENTATIVE GATTO moved to adopt the foregoing as Amendment 1. There being no objection, it was so ordered. Number 2234 REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE moved to report HB 51, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and a zero fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHB 51 (HES) was reported from the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.
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