Senate Approves Sen. White's Rx Redistribution Measure

SB 1044 would provide $1Million in savings for Corrections Department

The Senate today (March 15) approved legislation introduced by Senator Don White (R-41) that would authorize the Corrections Department and county prisons to redistribute unopened prescription medicines.

Senate Bill 1044 would authorize correctional facilities to return the medicines to the pharmaceutical wholesaler for credit and potential redistribution to other correctional facilities, providing the state Department of Corrections with an annual savings of $1 million.

"I am pleased that the Senate approved this bill. This is a measure that addresses a shortcoming in state statutes. Right now, correctional facilities are not authorized to do anything with unopened medications that they don't need. Therefore, they must keep them on the shelves. That is a waste of resources at a time when the cost of Pennsylvania's correctional system and county jails is dramatically increasing," Senator White said.

State Representatives Dave Reed and Tim Solobay have introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives.

Overall, the Department of Corrections budget for the current fiscal year is $1.6 billion or about 5 percent of the state's $27.8 billion budget. Of the Department's 2009-10 budget, $229.5 million is allocated for inmate medical care. That total represents a $15.3 million increase from the $214.2 million allocated for inmate medical care in the 2008-09 budget.

Senator White drafted the bill after discussions with officials from Diamond Pharmacy Services of White Township, Indiana County, the primary prescription drug supplier for the state Corrections Department. The proposal also has the support of both the Department of Corrections and the Department of State, Senator White said.

Pennsylvania's correctional facilities currently participate in a similar program, but no provisions exist under current law to govern these activities, which have been shown to be safe and save taxpayers $1million annually. SB 1044 is modeled after prescription drug recycling laws in 37 states.

"This legislation controls costs for correctional facilities. The medical condition of Pennsylvania's inmate population is generally worse than that of society resulting in a greater need for prescription medicines," Senator White said. "My legislation gives individual correctional facilities the latitude to adjust their inventories. Medication can be returned for credit and then redistributed to another correctional facility where they are needed."

Contact:

Joe Pittman
(717) 787-8724