SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3388

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 10, 2025

      The Senate Commerce Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3388.

     This bill allows pharmacists to transfer Schedule II controlled dangerous substance prescriptions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to other pharmacists.

     Specifically, the bill provides that a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance that is prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may be transferred from a pharmacist to another pharmacist, provided the prescription transfer is in compliance with federal regulations.

     Federal rules recently changed to allow the transfer of Schedule II-V controlled dangerous substance prescriptions between licensed pharmacies for the initial filling on a one-time basis only, upon request from the patient.  New Jersey currently allows for transfers of Schedule III-V controlled dangerous substance prescriptions; this bill would expand allowable transfers to also include Schedule II controlled dangerous substance prescriptions.

     The bill will allow for greater flexibility for people attempting to fill attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder prescriptions.  The ability to easily transfer prescriptions between pharmacies is especially valuable to patients who are attempting to fill prescriptions for medicine that is less available due to a shortage.  Currently, when a patient is unable to fill a prescription at a particular pharmacy, the patient must ask their health care provider to send a new prescription to a different pharmacy.  The bill will allow for a more efficient transfer process, by allowing pharmacies to directly transfer attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder prescriptions.