A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE BOARD OF PHARMACY TO COOPERATE IN A STUDY OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SAFE REUSE OF UNUSED UNIT DOSES OF PACKAGED DRUGS.

WHEREAS, the cost of providing prescription drugs to New Mexicans covered by various state and federal programs is very high and increasing at a potentially insupportable rate; and

WHEREAS, many people served by these programs have prescription drugs administered to them in individually packaged unit doses; and

WHEREAS, most nursing facilities, hospitals and many outpatient settings use these unit dose packages; and

WHEREAS, drugs prescribed for individual care in these settings may go unused when patients die or are discharged prior to the entire prescription being used; and

WHEREAS, state and federal laws and regulations may limit or prohibit the reuse of these drugs, since they were prescribed for a specific individual; and

WHEREAS, it would be a cost saving to the state of New Mexico if it were possible to reuse these drugs; and

WHEREAS, it is safe to reuse drugs that have been individually packaged in unit doses;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the human services department, the department of health and the board of pharmacy be requested to cooperate in a study to explore the potential for safe reuse of unused unit dose packaged drugs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these agencies work with the office of the attorney general and statewide associations of nursing home and hospital administrators to identify statutory, regulatory and practical barriers that may exist that prevent the reuse of unit dose packaged drugs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include legislative recommendations to remove these barriers and permit the reuse of unit dose packaged drugs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative recommendations be presented to the interim legislative health and human services committee at its September 2002 meeting; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be sent to the legislative health and human services committee, the human services department, the department of health, the board of pharmacy and the office of the attorney general.