WSHA’s first proactive bills, HB 1186/SB 5019, concerning prepacked medication dispensing from the ED and urgent care facilities, are up for their first hearings this week. We are pleased the Washington State Pharmacy Association has agreed to partner with us to support this legislation.
We are also pleased to report a positive work session with members of the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee Friday, Jan. 17, which focused on hospitals, primary care and long-term care. WSHA Chair-Elect, Public Policy Chair and MultiCare Health System President Florence Chang and Rural Hospital Committee Chair and Ocean Beach Hospital and Clinics CEO Merry-Ann Keane joined WSHA to discuss patient access to inpatient care and challenges to hospitals’ financial health. You can watch the work session here. Thank you, Florence and Merry-Ann, for joining us!
This week’s top bills with hearings in Olympia
HB 1186/SB 5019: Expanding the situations in which medications can be dispensed or delivered from hospitals and health care entities
WSHA strongly supports HB 1186 and SB 5019, which make common sense updates to statutes surrounding the medications emergency departments and health care entities (i.e. urgent care facilities with a health care entity license) can dispense to patients upon discharge.
Medications for patients — such as inhalers, creams, eye drops and insulin — technically exceed dosage limits based on how they are packaged, as they cannot safely be broken into smaller doses. These bills seek to exempt these medications from dosage limits so patients can receive them when necessary to improve health outcomes and allow for more timely hospital discharge. The bills would also reduce medical waste, as partially used medications from the emergency department or urgent care would not have to be disposed of.
Current regulations permit hospital emergency departments to dispense medications to patients upon discharge when access to an outpatient or community pharmacy is not readily available. Medications dispensed in this manner are prepackaged into quantities no larger than 48 hours’ worth of doses, and never more than 96 hours’ worth except with very limited exceptions. State law prevents dispensing more than 72 hours’ worth of medication in any circumstance for health care entities, such as urgent care settings.
WSHA prepared the drafts of these bills, sponsored by Rep. Parshley and Sen. Chapman, respectively. WSHA will testify in support of them next week in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee’s public hearing Thursday, Jan. 23 and House Health Care & Wellness Committee’s public hearing Friday, Jan. 24. (Remy Kerr)
WSHA weighing in: Jan. 20-24
Tuesday, Jan. 21
- House Early Learning & Human Services
- HB 1243: Addressing the burden of unintentional overpayments on older adults and adults with disabilities served by the department of social and health services. (Zosia Stanley)
- HB 1272: Extending the program to address complex cases of children in crisis. (Cara Helmer)
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1251: Improving the timeliness and accuracy of the issuance of a report of death. (Katerina LaMarche)
- House Labor & Workplace Standards
- HB 1213: Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program. (Remy Kerr)
- Senate Health & Long Term Care
- SB 5075: Concerning cost sharing for prenatal and postnatal care. (Andrew Busz)
- SB 5051: Consolidating regulatory authority for nursing assistants. (Katerina LaMarche)
- SB 5239: Concerning the retention of hospital medical records. (Cara Helmer)
- Senate Labor & Commerce
- SB 5041: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers. (Remy Kerr)
Wednesday, Jan. 22
- House Postsecondary Education & Workforce
- HB 1142: Standardizing basic training and certification requirements for long-term care workers who provide in-home care for their family members, including spouses or domestic partners. (Zosia Stanley)
Thursday, Jan. 23
- Senate Health & Long Term Care
- SB 5019: Concerning prepacked medication distribution. See article above. (Remy Kerr)
Friday, Jan. 24
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1077: Raising awareness of pain control options for intrauterine device placement and removal. (Katerina LaMarche)
- HB 1186: Expanding the situations in which medications can be dispensed or delivered from hospitals and health care entities. See article above. (Remy Kerr)
- Senate Environment, Energy & Technology
- SB 5236: Concerning emissions of greenhouse gases used for anesthetic purposes. (Remy Kerr)