SB391 Alabama 2012 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: J.T. WaggonerSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2012
Title: Pharmacist, prescription drugs, dispensing in nursing homes using automated pharmacy system, supervision by off-site pharmacist, further regulation by State Board of Health, Sec. 34-23-74 am'd
Summary: SB391 would allow nursing homes to store and dispense prescription drugs using automated systems with supervision by a licensed pharmacist who may be located off-site, and would define and regulate these systems.
What This Bill Does
Prescription drugs may be stored in a machine or automated system at a nursing home and dispensed on-site under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist who may be located at an off-site coordinating pharmacy. The bill defines automated pharmacy systems, coordinating pharmacies, and remote dispensing sites and sets rules for how drugs are stored, labeled, and delivered to patients. It requires written contracts, supervision, security, QA, and recordkeeping between coordinating and remote sites, and directs the State Board of Pharmacy to adopt related rules. It also removes the word 'skilled' when referring to nursing homes to align with existing law.

Who It Affects
Nursing homes and their residents: drugs would be stored in the nursing home's medicine room and dispensed in individual sealed doses under remote pharmacist supervision.
Coordinating off-site pharmacies and licensed pharmacists/technicians: responsible for supervising remote dispensing sites, maintaining agreements, ensuring staffing, quality assurance, and maintaining records.

Key Provisions
Allows nursing homes to store and dispense prescription drugs using machines, devices, or automated systems in the medicine room, dispensed on-site under supervision of a licensed pharmacist who may be at an off-site pharmacy.
Defines Automated Pharmacy System, Coordinating Pharmacy, and Remote Dispensing Site, and requires electronic linkage and regulatory oversight.
Requires labeling of dispensed drugs (pharmacy ID, patient name, date, drug name, strength) when multi-dose or single-unit packages are used.
Requires written contracts between coordinating and remote sites, ensures adequate pharmacist coverage, security, operation, and maintenance of the system, and allows the Board to adopt additional rules.
Requires secure storage, tamper-evident packaging, restricted access, and detailed recordkeeping for all drugs, with separate inventory records for coordinating and remote sites; perpetual inventory for controlled substances.
Mandates quality assurance programs and periodic testing of all automated systems and video/telecommunication links, plus comprehensive policies on operation, safety, security, confidentiality, and drug handling.
Deletes the term 'skilled' in nursing home references to align with existing law.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Health