Sen. White's Rx Redistribution Measure Headed to Governor

SB 1044 will Ensure $1Million in annual savings

Legislation introduced by Senator Don White (R-41) authorizing the Corrections Department and county prisons to redistribute unopened prescription medicines is now before the Governor for his signature and enactment into law.

The House of Representatives unanimously approved Senate Bill 1044 on July 2. The Senate unanimously approved the bill on March 15.

SB 1044 authorizes 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.

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.

"At this most critical time we must ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately. This legislation helps control expenses for correctional facilities which are becoming more costly to operate every year. 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.

"This measure gives individual correctional facilities the latitude to adjust their inventories. Medications can be returned for credit and then redistributed to other facilities where they are needed. Currently, 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 continued.

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.

Contact:

Joe Pittman
(724) 357-0151