Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016

To amend the Controlled Substances Act to permit certain partial fillings of prescriptions. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016 2. Partial fills of schedule II controlled substances (a) In general Section 309 of the Controlled Substances Act ( 21 U.S.C. 829 (f) Partial fills of schedule II controlled substances (1) Partial fills (A) In general A prescription for a controlled substance in schedule II may be partially filled if— (i) it is not prohibited by State law; (ii) the prescription is written and filled in accordance with the Controlled Substances Act ( 21 U.S.C. 801 et seq. (iii) the partial fill is requested by the patient or the practitioner that wrote the prescription; and (iv) the total quantity dispensed in all partial fillings does not exceed the total quantity prescribed. (B) Other circumstances A prescription for a controlled substance in schedule II may be partially filled in accordance with section 1306.13 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of the Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016 (2) Remaining portions (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B), remaining portions of a partially filled prescription for a controlled substance in schedule II— (i) may be filled; and (ii) shall be filled not later than 30 days after the date on which the prescription is written. (B) Emergency situations In emergency situations, as described in subsection (a), the remaining portions of a partially filled prescription for a controlled substance in schedule II— (i) may be filled; and (ii) shall be filled not later than 72 hours after the prescription is issued. . (b) Rule of construction Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the authority of the Attorney General to allow a prescription for a controlled substance in schedule III, IV, or V of section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act ( 21 U.S.C. 812(c) May 10, 2016 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on May 10, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow a pharmacist to partially fill a prescription for a schedule II controlled substance (such as a prescription opioid painkiller) if: (1) it is not prohibited by state law, (2) it is prescribed in accordance with existing laws and regulations, (3) it is requested by the patient or prescribing practitioner, and (4) the total quantity dispensed in partial fillings does not exceed the total quantity prescribed. Additionally, a pharmacist may partially fill a prescription for a schedule II controlled substance in other circumstances in accordance with existing Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations. (Current DEA regulations permit partial fills when a pharmacist cannot supply a full quantity, a patient resides in a long-term care facility, or a patient is terminally ill.) The remaining portion of a partially filled prescription may be filled within 30 days or, in the case of an emergency situation, within 72 hours.