The Senate Health and Human Services Committee has passed legislation sponsored by Senator Anthony Bucco (R-25) that would provide a pharmacist the ability to dispense medication in an emergency without a prescription.

“In the time it takes to refill a prescription, people with serious medical conditions, such as allergies, can lose their lives,” Senator Bucco said. “Current law legally bars pharmacies from dispensing 30-day supplies of certain lifesaving drugs, such as epi-pens.

“When a woman reached out to my office to share how her son almost died because of an allergy attack because of this dangerous over regulation, I knew we had to push for this bill. By easing access to emergency medications, we can ensure that no mother ever has to go through the fear of losing her child like that ever again.”

Sen. Anthony Bucco’s legislation, S-1135, would allow a pharmacist to dispense an emergency supply of chronic maintenance drugs, without a current prescription from a doctor.

Under current law, a pharmacist is permitted to allot a 72-hour supply of a medication. S-1135 would expand the supply limit to 30 days, ensuring people with serious conditions have enough medication on hand to keep them safe.

To prevent abuse, S-1135 would also bar a pharmacist from supplying the medication to a patient more than once in a 12–month period.

“Quality healthcare should never allow for extreme suffering or interruptions in treatment,” Bucco said. “Patients deserve to have a safe and legal way to refill their medication in emergency situations. No one should be denied access to lifesaving drugs, just because they forgot to refill a prescription.”

A copy of Senator Anthony Bucco’s bill can be found here.