To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the responsibilities of a pharmacy when a pharmacist employed by the pharmacy refuses to fill a valid prescription for a drug on the basis of religious beliefs or moral convictions, and for other purposes.
Latest action · Apr 22, 2005 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 8, 2005
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit a pharmacy from receiving a prescription in interstate commerce unless it: (1) ensures that a prescription that is not filled due to a refusal by a pharmacist on the basis of religious beliefs or moral convictions is filled by another pharmacist employed by the pharmacy within four hours of such refusal; and (2) does not employ any pharmacist who refuses to return an unfilled prescription to the patient or transfer an unfilled prescription to another pharmacy with the intent to prevent a patient from filling a valid prescription for a drug.
Sets forth penalties for violations. Allows a civil action against a pharmacy for a violation of this Act.
Cosponsors
Members who signed on, in the order they did.
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 22, 2005Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Apr 8, 2005Introduced in House
- Apr 8, 2005Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 809 | Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act | Related bill | Apr 14, 2005 |
| HR 1652 | Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act | Related bill | May 13, 2005 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
- Access to health care
- Civil actions and liability
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Damages
- Dismissal of employees
- Drugs
- Employee selection
- Fines (Penalties)
- Health
- Injunctions
- Labor and Employment
- Law
- Legal fees
- Limitation of actions
- Pharmacies
- Pharmacists
- Punitive damages
- Religion
- Religious liberty
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.