Under existing law, hospitals and skilled nursing homes may use machines or mechanical devices for the storage and dispensing of prescription drugs. The machines are required to be stocked under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and dispensed in accordance with institutional hospital policy. Also, under existing law, many nursing homes use off-site pharmacies to dispense prescription drugs and the drugs are then delivered and stored in the medicine or drug room at the nursing home.
This bill would specify that prescription drugs may be stored in a machine, mechanical device, or other automated pharmacy system unit at a nursing home and dispensed on-site under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist who may be located at an off-site pharmacy. The drugs would be stored in the medicine or drug room of the nursing home and dispensed in individual sealed containers for each patient. The bill would define and regulate the automated pharmacy systems used for the purposes of this act. The use of the term "skilled" in relation to a nursing home would be deleted to conform to existing law.
Indefinitely Postponed
Marsh motion to Carry Over Temporarily adopted Voice Vote
Bedford first Substitute Offered
Bedford motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call 880
Job Creation and Economic Development Amendment Offered
Third Reading Carried Over
Read for the second time and placed on the calendar 1 amendment
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate committee on Job Creation and Economic Development
Source: Alabama Legislature