| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to anti-epileptic drugs; creating s. |
| 3 | 465.0245, F.S.; providing definitions; prohibiting |
| 4 | pharmacists from interchanging certain types of prescribed |
| 5 | anti-epileptic drugs; providing an exception; providing an |
| 6 | effective date. |
| 7 |
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| 8 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Section 1. Section 465.0245, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 11 | to read: |
| 12 | 465.0245 Anti-epileptic drug interchange prohibited.-- |
| 13 | (1) As used in this section: |
| 14 | (a) "Anti-epileptic drug" means any drug prescribed for |
| 15 | the treatment of epilepsy or a drug used to treat or prevent |
| 16 | seizures. |
| 17 | (b) "Epilepsy" means a neurological condition |
| 18 | characterized by recurrent seizures. |
| 19 | (c) "Seizure" means an acute clinical change secondary to |
| 20 | a brief disturbance in the electrical activity of the brain. |
| 21 | (d) "Interchange" means the substitution of one version of |
| 22 | the same anti-epileptic therapeutic product, including a generic |
| 23 | version for the prescribed brand, a brand version for the |
| 24 | prescribed generic version, a generic version by one |
| 25 | manufacturer for a generic version by different manufacturer, a |
| 26 | different formulation of the prescribed anti-epileptic drug, or |
| 27 | a different anti-epileptic therapeutic drug product for the |
| 28 | anti-epileptic product originally prescribed. |
| 29 | (2) A pharmacist may not interchange an anti-epileptic |
| 30 | drug or formulation of an anti-epileptic drug, brand or generic, |
| 31 | for the treatment of seizures or epilepsy without prior |
| 32 | notification and the signed informed consent of such interchange |
| 33 | from the prescribing physician and patient, or patient's parent, |
| 34 | legal guardian, or spouse of the patient's parent or legal |
| 35 | guardian. |
| 36 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |