Montana News: Lessons Learned from the 2007 Legislative Sessions

July 1, 2007 11:08 am Topics: Patient safety

Reprinted from the July 2007 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.

2007 was a busy legislative year for the practice of pharmacy. There were several pieces of legislation introduced by special interest groups that would have had a significant impact on the daily practice of pharmacy. Two bills in particular should serve as a wake-up call to the profession to try to do a better job of communicating with patients and to document and publicize the positive impact that pharmacists can have on patient safety.

Senate Bill (SB) 397, sponsored by Senator Kim Gillan at the request of the Employee Managed Benefits Service, proposed to revise pharmacy laws to allow physician dispensing at employer-based clinics. The proponents of the bill testified that physician dispensing would save the patient and the employer money by eliminating the need for pharmacy services. Proponents also testified that face-to-face patient education by pharmacists occurs infrequently due to busy pharmacist workloads, primary interaction with clerks or technicians, and mail-order pharmacy services.

Opponents to SB 397 provided testimony about the important role that pharmacists play in patient safety by providing drug therapy review and patient education. Opponents also argued that physician dispensing is unregulated and that dispensing authority can be delegated to unlicensed personnel, which may compromise patient safety.