SRC-MKV S.B. 332 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 332 77R2825 JMM-DBy: Moncrief Health & Human Services 1/30/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently the Texas Medical Practice act prohibits physicians from giving patients free medications under the Indigent Patient Program because of a definitional limitation. This bill 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 158.002 (a), Occupations Code, to provide that this chapter does not prohibit a physician from supplying a pharmaceutical sample to a patient free of charge, including pharmaceutical samples provided by drug manufacturers for indigent pharmaceutical programs, 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 sample. SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.