An Act To Reduce Waste of Prescription Medications
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0178
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: CUDDY
Amends: 32 MRSA §2213, 32 MRSA §2600-G, 32 MRSA §3300-J, 32 MRSA §3658, 32 MRSA §13786-E, 32 MRSA §18309

Legislative Document
No. 178
H.P. 131
House of Representatives, January 25, 2021
An Act To Reduce Waste of Prescription Medications
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 21, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered 
printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CUDDY of Winterport.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §2213 is enacted to read:
§2213.  Requirement regarding new prescriptions
An individual licensed under this chapter may not prescribe to a patient more than a 
30-day supply of a prescription drug that the individual has not previously prescribed to 
that patient, unless it is prescribed in accordance with section 2210, subsection 2.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §2600-G is enacted to read:
§2600-G.  Requirement regarding new prescriptions
An individual licensed under this chapter may not prescribe to a patient more than a 
30-day supply of a prescription drug that the individual has not previously prescribed to 
that patient, unless it is prescribed in accordance with section 2600-C, subsection 2.
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §3300-J is enacted to read:
§3300-J.  Requirement regarding new prescriptions
An individual licensed under this chapter may not prescribe to a patient more than a 
30-day supply of a prescription drug that the individual has not previously prescribed to 
that patient, unless it is prescribed in accordance with section 3300-F, subsection 2.
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §3658 is enacted to read:
§3658.  Requirement regarding new prescriptions
An individual licensed under this chapter may not prescribe to a patient more than a 
30-day supply of a prescription drug that the individual has not previously prescribed to 
that patient, unless it is prescribed in accordance with section 3657, subsection 2.
Sec. 5.  32 MRSA §13786-E is enacted to read:
§13786-E.  Dispensing of new prescriptions
A pharmacist may not dispense more than a 30-day supply of a new prescription drug 
order for a patient who does not have a previous prescription drug order for that drug, unless 
the prescription drug order is prescribed in accordance with section 2210, subsection 2; 
section 2600-C, subsection 2; section 3300-F, subsection 2; section 3657, subsection 2; or 
section 18308, subsection 2.
Sec. 6.  32 MRSA §18309 is enacted to read:
§18309.  Requirement regarding new prescriptions
An individual licensed under this chapter may not prescribe to a patient more than a 
30-day supply of a prescription drug that the individual has not previously prescribed to 
that patient, unless it is prescribed in accordance with section 18308, subsection 2.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that registered nurses, providers of osteopathic medicine, providers 
of allopathic medicine, podiatrists and dentists may not prescribe to a patient more than a 
30-day supply of a prescription drug that the provider has not previously prescribed to that 
patient.  The bill also provides that a pharmacist may not dispense more than a 30-day 
supply of a new prescription drug order to a patient who does not have a previous 
prescription drug order for that drug.  The prescribing and dispensing requirements 
provided in this bill provide exemptions for opioid medications prescribed or dispensed in 
accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, section 2210, subsection 2; section 
2600-C, subsection 2; section 3300-F, subsection 2; section 3657, subsection 2; or section 
18308, subsection 2.