135.142 - HEALTH CARE SUPPLIES. - Iowa Statutes

135.142 HEALTH CARE SUPPLIES. 1. The department may purchase and distribute antitoxins, serums, vaccines, immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents or medical supplies as deemed advisable in the interest of preparing for or controlling a public health disaster. 2. If a public health disaster exists or there is reasonable cause to believe that a public health disaster is imminent and if the public health disaster or belief that a public health disaster is imminent results in a statewide or regional shortage or threatened shortage of any product described under subsection 1, whether or not such product has been purchased by the department, the department may control, restrict, and regulate by rationing and using quotas, prohibitions on shipments, allocation, or other means, the use, sale, dispensing, distribution, or transportation of the relevant product necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the people of this state. The department shall collaborate with persons who have control of the products when reasonably possible. 3. In making rationing or other supply and distribution decisions, the department shall give preference to health care providers, disaster response personnel, and mortuary staff. 4. During a public health disaster, the department may procure, store, or distribute any antitoxins, serums, vaccines, immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents or medical supplies located within the state as may be reasonable and necessary to respond to the public health disaster, and may take immediate possession of these pharmaceutical agents and supplies. If a public health disaster affects more than one state, this section shall not be construed to allow the department to obtain antitoxins, serums, vaccines, immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents or medical supplies for the primary purpose of hoarding such items or preventing the fair and equitable distribution of these pharmaceutical and medical supplies among affected states. The department shall collaborate with affected states and persons when reasonably possible. 5. The state shall pay just compensation to the owner of any product lawfully taken or appropriated by the department for the department's temporary or permanent use in accordance with this section. The amount of compensation shall be limited to the costs incurred by the owner to procure the item.          Section History: Recent Form 2003 Acts, ch 33, §3, 11; 2004 Acts, ch 1086, §34