04/07/2003 01:33 PM Senate HES

              HB  51-LABELING OF PRESCRIBED DRUGS                                                                           
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR FRED DYSON announced HB 51 to be up for discussion.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PAUL  SEATON,  sponsor,   explained  that  HB  51                                                               
requires prescriptions  to be  labeled with  the generic  name as                                                               
well as  any brand  name on  the drug label.  The purpose  is the                                                               
health and  safety of Alaskans.  Ways of treating  illnesses have                                                               
changed  drastically,  especially  chronic illnesses.  Many  more                                                               
pills are  available and  typically a person  takes all  of their                                                               
bottles and sets each prescription out  for the week. If a person                                                               
orders a  prescription and gets  it with a  brand name on  it, it                                                               
will only have that name on it.  If they get a refill, they might                                                               
get only  the generic name.  So, a person  goes to fill  his pill                                                               
containers and doesn't know precisely  what the prescriptions are                                                               
and ends up double dosing.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
This has  been a  very significant  problem for  senior citizens,                                                               
especially. He  said the University  of Chicago and the  FDA have                                                               
done studies and  found that 15 percent of all  the drug problems                                                               
are caused  by drug overdoses,  because of people not  being able                                                               
to distinguish  the names. This is  one of the 15  items that the                                                               
FDA has  recommended to change.  AARP, the Alaska  Association of                                                               
Health  Underwriters,  the  Alaskan  State  Medical  Association,                                                               
Aetna  Insurance,  and a  number  of  senior citizens  homes  and                                                               
support this. No one opposes it.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON said he assumed  that the pharmaceutical industry had                                                               
been informed and that they support it.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON replied that is correct.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. FRED LAU,  Director, Homer Senior Citizens, Inc.,  said it is                                                               
an organization that  runs programs for seniors 55  and older for                                                               
nutrition,  transportation,  adult  day  care,  assisted  living,                                                               
respite and independent  living. He affirmed that  a large number                                                               
of these  individuals are taking  from 5 to 15  medications. They                                                               
support  this   bill  for   the  reasons   Representative  Seaton                                                               
explained.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GUESS moved  HB 51 and the attached zero  fiscal note out                                                               
of  committee  with  individual recommendations.  There  were  no                                                               
objections and it was so ordered.