General Assembly Recesses for Summer Break

[June 8, 2022]

The Ohio General Assembly is now on summer break until September. But there was action on several bills before adjournment.

HB 193, which passed the House last year, was approved by the Ohio Senate and is on its way to becoming state law. The bill generally limits pharmacist dispensing of schedule II controlled substances to those prescribed electronically, rather than in writing or electronically as under current law. The bill does allow for a written prescription in emergency situations with specified circumstances. These include limiting the pharmacist to dispensing an amount adequate to treat the patient for the duration of the emergency period only and requiring the prescriber to deliver a prescription to the pharmacist within seven days after authorizing the emergency prescription.

Other exceptions to allow a pharmacist to dispense upon a written prescription if/when include:

• there are technology problems;
• the prescription is issued for a nursing home resident or hospice care patient;
• the prescriber is employed by or under contract with the same entity that operates the pharmacy;
• the prescriber determines that an electronic prescription cannot be issued in a timely manner and the patient’s medical condition is at risk; or
• the prescriber issues per year not more than 50 prescriptions for schedule II controlled substances.

HB 454, which prohibits medical professionals from providing gender transition procedures to minors, was debated in the House Families, Aging and Human Services Committee this week. The hearing was limited to invite-only opponent testimony. Physicians and representatives from the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital were among the witnesses.

HB 135, legislation to end copay accumulator programs and help patients with financial burdens, remains in the Senate Health Committee, chaired by Sen. Steve Huffman, MD. OOA members who reside in Huffman’s district (Ohio Senate District 5) are encouraged to contact him now to ask for a hearing on the bill when the General Assembly resumes after summer recess.