Signed by Governor Bill Haslam

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that limits the amount of pseudoephedrine an individual can purchase without a prescription, effective July 1, 2014.

Highlights:

• Prohibits an individual from purchasing products containing more than 2.4 grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine base, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers during a consecutive 30-day period (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a pharmacy from selling products containing more than 2.4 grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine base, or their salts, isomers or salts of isomers to the same individual during a consecutive 30-day period (Sec. 1).

• Exempts an individual with a valid prescription issued by a licensed health care practitioner who is authorized to prescribe medication from the provisions of this bill (Sec. 1).

• Requires an NPLEx alarm system to generate a stop sale alert, with an override function, if completion of a sale would result in the seller or purchaser exceeding the quantity limits set forth in the provisions of this bill (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes a pharmacist or pharmacy intern to override the stop sale alert and sell products containing up to 2.4 additional grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine base during a 30-day period to an individual if the total sale of the products during that period does not exceed 4.8 grams and the pharmacist counsels with the individual before selling the products (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes a pharmacist or pharmacy intern to override the stop sale alert if the individual has a “reasonable fear of imminent bodily harm” (Sec. 2).

• Requires each instance in which the override function is used to be logged by the system (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text