SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 10

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER MONCK

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AP 10: ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION WRITING.

EXISTING LAW REGULATES THE ISSUANCE OF PRESCRIPTIONS AND DISPENSING OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS, AND AUTHORIZES A PRESCRIBER TO ELECTRONICALLY TRANSMIT A PRESCRIPTION TO A PHARMACY.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE IMPOSITION OF AN ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION WRITING SYSTEM IN THE STATE INTENDED TO REDUCE MEDICATION ERRORS, IMPROVE ACCESS TO PATIENT INFORMATION, INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS, AND INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PRESCRIPTION WRITING PROCESS.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AP 10: RELATING TO ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION WRITING

WHEREAS, PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION ERRORS ACCOUNT FOR AN ESTIMATED 7,000 DEATHS ANNUALLY IN THE UNITED STATES DUE TO EITHER INADEQUATE PATIENT INFORMATION OR ERRORS CAUSED BY THE ILLEGIBLE HANDWRITING OF PHYSICIANS THAT IS MISREAD BY HOSPITAL STAFF AND PHARMACISTS; AND

WHEREAS, PHARMACISTS HAVE TO MAKE AS MANY AS 150 MILLION CALLS A YEAR TO PHYSICIANS TO VERIFY PRESCRIPTIONS, AVOID POTENTIAL DRUG INTERACTIONS, REMEDY DOSAGE ERRORS, AND CLARIFY ILLEGIBLE HANDWRITING, WHICH CREATES EXTRA WORK FOR PHARMACISTS AND PHYSICIANS AND DECREASES EFFICIENCY; AND

WHEREAS, BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE THAN 17,000 BRANDS OF PHARMACEUTICALS SOLD IN NORTH AMERICA WITH APPROXIMATELY 1,500 NEW PRODUCTS SLATED FOR APPROVAL BY THE FEDERAL DRUG ADMINISTRATION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, CALIFORNIA SHOULD BEGIN TRANSITIONING TO AN ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION WRITING SYSTEM TO BETTER MANAGE PATIENT INFORMATION AND IMPROVE THE CURRENT DRUG PRESCRIPTION SYSTEM; AND

WHEREAS, PHYSICIANS NATIONWIDE WROTE OVER 3 BILLION PRESCRIPTIONS IN 1999, AND WILL WRITE APPROXIMATELY 4 BILLION PRESCRIPTIONS IN 2007; AND

WHEREAS, TO ENSURE PATIENT SAFETY AND IMPROVE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OUR PRESCRIPTION DRUG SYSTEM, THE STATE AND THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY SHOULD EMPLOY BETTER TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE PRESCRIPTION DRUG ERRORS AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO PATIENT INFORMATION, INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS, AND INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PRESCRIPTION WRITING PROCESS; AND

WHEREAS, AN ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION WRITING SYSTEM WOULD BETTER ENABLE PHYSICIANS TO MANAGE PATIENT INFORMATION AND DRUG HISTORY, CHOOSE MEDICATIONS FROM A DRUG DATABASE, RESEARCH DRUG INTERACTIONS, AND WRITE PRESCRIPTIONS FROM HAND-HELD DEVICES, WHICH COULD BE DIRECTLY FAXED TO PHARMACIES IN MINUTES; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2007 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT LEGISLATION BE ENACTED THAT WOULD INSTITUTE AN ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION WRITING SYSTEM BY 2009, THAT WOULD MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY PROVIDE FOR THE APPROPRIATE DISPENSING AND MONITORING OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS, THEREBY ELIMINATING ERRORS AND PATIENT DEATHS DUE TO LACK OF PATIENT DRUG INFORMATION AND ERRORS CAUSED BY ILLEGIBLE PHYSICIAN HANDWRITING; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZED THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
HEARING AIDS.

RN20072391205

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