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CT Center for Patient Safety Newsletter
Quality Health Care is a Right July 13, 2009
In This Issue
Nursing Home Bill of Right
SB 325: Pharmacy errors
Only 1% of pharmacy errors get reported

AN ACT CONCERNING PHARMACY ERRORS AND PHARMACY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
SUMMARY: This act allows the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), the Pharmacy Commission, and the Department of Public Health to publicly disclose information that identifies individuals or institutions when it relates to a proceeding in which the commission has voted to formally discipline a licensed pharmacist or pharmacy for an error in dispensing medication. Prior law allowed disclosure only of proceedings that considered questions of licensure or the right to practice. The act does not affect the ability of the DCP commissioner, in the interest of public health, to disclose information gained through the inspection of pharmacies and outlets permitted to sell nonlegend (over-the-counter) drugs.
The act also requires the Pharmacy Commission to make records of its proceedings available to the public upon request. The records must include the name and license number of any pharmacy or pharmacist against whom the commission has recommended formal disciplinary action.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2009

This act makes so much sense that one wonders why there has to be legislation.  But there was no transparency, little accountability and one mother who, thank heaven, was willing to demand change.
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Dear Member,
 
Connecticut  still has no budget and the conflict in dealing with the state deficit has distracted legislators as well as the Governor.  There is a paucity of legislation this year on initiatives that help health care consumers.  The Governor has vetoed two important health care reform bills and the Legislature will be meeting on July 20th to try to override that veto.  However, to date, there are two important bills that have been signed and this newsletter will address those bills.
 
Jean
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Governor Signs the Nursing Home Bill of Rights
 
AN ACT CONCERNING THE NURSING HOME BILL OF RIGHTS.
SUMMARY:
The state's nursing home patients' bill of rights gives patients entitled to receive Medicaid the specific right to not have the nursing home or chronic disease hospital charge, ask for, accept, or receive any gift, money, or donation in addition to Medicaid payment as a condition of admission, expedited admission, or continued stay at the facility. The bill adds third-party payment guarantees to this prohibition and extends this right to all patients, not just those entitled to receive Medicaid.
The bill also specifies that the rights and benefits conferred in the patients' bill of rights may not be reduced, rescinded, or abrogated by contract.
 
We will be working over the summer months to try to figure out how we can help in the implementation of this bill which takes effect on October 1.  Only empowered patients and families will be able to make effective use of this new legislation.
 
Only 1% of pharmacy errors are ever reported.
 
If you are given the wrong medication, or the wrong dosage or handed a prescription intended for someone else, report the erorr immediately. Call 860-713-6065. 
And do not take the prescription back because then the consumer loses the "evidence" and it is as if the error had never happened.  Why report these errors?  Because unless they are reported, the pharmacies that are chronically making mistakes  have no reason to step up quality control. 
 
Please report side effects to
1-800-234-2345.  Once again, if you do not speak up, the FDA will not know there are problems.