Senate Bill sb1096c2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2001        (RECOMMENDED)    CS for CS for SB

                                                              1096
    By the Committees on Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and
    Human Services; Health, Aging and Long-Term Care; and Senator
    Campbell


    309-1898-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to pharmacy; providing a short

  3         title; defining the term "pharmaceutical

  4         adverse incident" and requiring that such

  5         incidents be reported to the Department of

  6         Health; providing exceptions; requiring the

  7         department to review reported incidents to

  8         determine whether the incidents potentially

  9         involve conduct by a health care practitioner

10         that is subject to disciplinary action;

11         specifying that any disciplinary action shall

12         be taken by the appropriate board; providing

13         for the adoption of rules and forms; providing

14         effective dates.

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16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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18         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Ernest Belles

19  Act."

20         Section 2.  (1)  As used in this section, the term

21  "pharmaceutical adverse incident" means the dispensing of a

22  different medication, a different dose, or the correct

23  medication in a container with different instructions than

24  those specified in the prescription, which dispensation

25  results in actual harm to a patient, but does not include the

26  dispensing of a generic equivalent medication with the

27  patient's consent.

28         (2)  A pharmacist licensed under chapter 465, Florida

29  Statutes, or other health care practitioner as defined in

30  section 456.001, Florida Statutes, who becomes aware of a

31  patient's allegation that a pharmaceutical adverse incident

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    Florida Senate - 2001        (RECOMMENDED)    CS for CS for SB

                                                              1096
    309-1898-01


  1  has occurred which was caused by a health care practitioner

  2  must report such incident to the Department of Health on forms

  3  provided by the department. This section does not apply to:

  4         (a)  Pharmacists employed by pharmacies that

  5  participate in the reporting program provided by Rule

  6  64B16-27.300, Florida Administrative Code; or

  7         (b)  Pharmacists employed by pharmacies that have

  8  notified the Board of Pharmacy that they will establish a

  9  continuous quality-improvement program consistent with the

10  requirements of Rule 64B16-27.300, Florida Administrative

11  Code.

12         (3)  The required notification to the department must

13  be submitted in writing by certified mail and postmarked

14  within 15 days after the occurrence of the adverse incident.

15         (4)  Effective July 1, 2003, subject to subsequent act

16  of the Legislature and a specific appropriation sufficient to

17  cover the actual costs, the department shall review each

18  incident and determine whether it potentially involved conduct

19  by a pharmacist or health care practitioner who is subject to

20  disciplinary action, in which case section 465.073, Florida

21  Statutes, applies.  Disciplinary action, if any, shall be

22  taken by the board under which the pharmacist or health care

23  practitioner is licensed.

24         (5)  The Department of Health shall adopt forms and

25  rules for administering this section.

26         Section 3.  Section 2 of this act shall take effect

27  only upon the effective date of legislation that makes any

28  such information provided to the Department of Health

29  confidential and exempt from section 119.07(1), Florida

30  Statutes, and Section 24(a) of Article I of the State

31  Constitution, until 10 days after probable cause is found that

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    Florida Senate - 2001        (RECOMMENDED)    CS for CS for SB

                                                              1096
    309-1898-01


  1  a violation of law occurred. Such legislation must also

  2  provide that information may only be used by the department or

  3  the Board of Pharmacy in a disciplinary proceeding brought

  4  against the pharmacist or by the department in any study of

  5  adverse incidents without identifying the patient, pharmacist,

  6  pharmacy, office, or entity by name, location, or other

  7  identifier.

  8         Section 4.  Except as otherwise expressly provided in

  9  this act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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11          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
12                          CS for SB 1096

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14  Clarifies "pharmaceutical adverse incident" as that which
    results in actual harm to the patient.
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    Specifies that a pharmacist or other health care practitioner
16  is required to report a "pharmaceutical adverse incident" if
    he or she is aware of a patient allegation that such an
17  incident was caused by the health care practitioner.

18  Makes exceptions for which certain pharmacists my be excluded
    from reporting requirements.
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    The bill sets forth an effective date of July 1, 2003, subject
20  to subsequent act of the Legislature and specific
    appropriation, to review pharmaceutical adverse incidents.
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    The bill provides that Section 2 of this act shall not take
22  effect until the effective date of legislation that makes any
    such information provided to the Department of Health
23  confidential and exempt.

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