AN ACT CONCERNING PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADMINISTRATION IN NURSING HOME FACILITIES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2012) A medical director of a nursing home facility, as defined in section 19a-521 of the general statutes, may establish protocols for a prescription drug formulary system in accordance with guidelines established by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and any applicable collaborative drug therapy management agreement, as described in section 20-631 of the general statutes. The medical director of a nursing home facility that implements a prescription drug formulary system may make a substitution for a drug prescribed to a patient of the facility in accordance with the provisions of this section. Prior to making any substitution for a drug prescribed to a patient of the facility in accordance with the facility's protocols, the medical director, or the medical director's designee, shall notify the prescribing physician of the medical director's intention to make such substitution. If the prescribing physician does not authorize the medical director or the director's designee to make such substitution or objects to such substitution, the medical director, or the medical director's designee, shall not make the substitution. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the facility's administration of prescription drugs to a patient who receives benefits under a medical assistance program administered by the Department of Social Services shall be in accordance with the department's preferred drug lists, developed in accordance with section 17b-274d of the general statutes.

Statement of Purpose:

To allow nursing home facilities to make substitutions for drugs prescribed to patients with the approval of the prescribing physician.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]