§ 26-4-192 - State-wide program for distribution of unused prescription drugs for benefit of medically indigent persons; pilot program; rules and regulations; time for implementation - Georgia Statutes

O.C.G.A. 26-4-192 (2010)
26-4-192. State-wide program for distribution of unused prescription drugs for benefit of medically indigent persons; pilot program; rules and regulations; time for implementation

(a) The Georgia State Board of Pharmacy and the Department of Community Health shall jointly develop and implement a state-wide program consistent with public health and safety standards through which unused prescription drugs, other than prescription drugs defined as controlled substances, may be transferred from health care facilities to pharmacies designated or approved by the Department of Community Health for the purpose of distributing such drugs to residents of this state who are medically indigent persons.

(b) The Georgia State Board of Pharmacy and the Department of Community Health shall be authorized to develop and implement a pilot program to determine the safest and most beneficial manner of implementing the program prior to the state-wide implementation of the program required in subsection (a) of this Code section.

(c) The Georgia State Board of Pharmacy, in consultation with the Department of Community Health, shall develop and promulgate rules and regulations to establish procedures necessary to implement the program and pilot program, if applicable, provided for in this Code section. The rules and regulations shall provide, at a minimum:

(1) For an inclusionary formulary for the prescription drugs to be distributed pursuant to the program;

(2) For the protection of the privacy of the individual for whom a prescription drug was originally prescribed;

(3) For the integrity and safe storage and safe transfer of the prescription drugs, which may include, but shall not be limited to, limiting the drugs made available through the program to those that were originally dispensed by unit dose or an individually sealed dose and that remain in intact packaging; provided, however, that the rules and regulations shall authorize the use of any remaining prescription drugs;

(4) For the tracking of and accountability for the prescription drugs; and

(5) For other matters necessary for the implementation of the program.

(d) The state-wide program required by this Code section shall be implemented no later than January 1, 2007, unless a pilot program is implemented pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section, in which case state-wide implementation shall occur no later than July 1, 2008.