Should Pharmacies be able to Partially Fill Opioid Prescriptions to Reduce Unused Medications? (H.R. 4599)

What is H.R. 4599?

(Updated July 19, 2017)

This bill would allow for prescriptions involving Schedule II drugs (which are mostly opioids) to be partially filled so as to avoid providing patients with more potentially addictive prescription drugs than they need. Partial fills would be allowed as long as the following conditions are met:

• Partial fills aren’t prohibited by state law;

• The prescription meets all federal and state regulations;

• Either the patient or their prescribing doctor request that the prescription be partially filled;

• The total quantity given to the patient in all partial fills doesn’t exceed the total quantity of medication they were prescribed.

Remaining portions of a partially filled prescription may be filled within 30 days of the prescription being written. In emergency situations the remaining portions of a partially filled prescription could be filled within 72 hours of the prescription being issued.

Under current law, the partial filling of prescriptions for schedule III, IV, and V drugs is allowed but because of a lack of clarity in the regulations, partial fills schedule II aren’t allowed.

Argument in favor

Patients and doctors should have the ability to partially fill prescriptions for potentially addictive opioids to reduce the amount of unused medication that’s misused. This bill would allow that and enable patients to get their prescriptions in smaller portions.

Argument opposed

If patients don’t want or need to use their full prescription there are ways for them to safely dispose of the medication so it’s not left sitting around where it may be misused. Patients should only be able to receive their prescription in full.

Impact

People who get their prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances partially filled; pharmacists and prescribing doctors; and states.

Cost of H.R. 4599

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced this bill to allow opioid prescriptions to be partially filled at the request of patients and doctors:

“Millions of half-filled bottles of unused prescription drugs line our families' medicine cabinets, and too often, that is where opioid addiction begins. The Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016 empowers patients to manage their prescriptions responsibly and reduces the number of unused and unwanted painkillers that are fueling our nation's opioid epidemic.”

This legislation was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on a voice vote, and has the bipartisan support of 18 cosponsors — including 10 Democrats and eight Republicans.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) Press Release
• Cape Cod Times
• MassLive
• National Council of Behavioral Health
• The Enterprise