SRC-MKV, S.B. 332 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 332
By: Moncrief
Health & Human Services
6/14/2001
Enrolled


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Medical Practice Act prohibits physicians from giving patients
free medications under the Indigent Patient Program because of a
definitional limitation.  S.B. 332 corrects the definitional limitation,
allowing physicians to give their indigent patients a full course of
medication supplied by the pharmaceutical company without risk of
infringing on pharmacists' dispensing authority. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 158.001, Occupations Code, by adding Subsection
(c), to provide that this chapter does not prohibit a physician from
supplying to a patient, free of charge, a drug provided to the physician by
a drug manufacturer for an indigent pharmaceutical program if, in the
physician's opinion, it is advantageous to the patient, in adhering to a
course of treatment prescribed by the physician, to receive the drug. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.