HB3849 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 08874 AAS 18929 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB3849

Introduced 2/18/2025, by Rep. Nicolle Grasse

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

225 ILCS 85/16b
720 ILCS 570/302	from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 1302

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act and the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that any authorized employee (instead of an advanced practice registered nurse, practical nurse, registered nurse, or physician) of an organization that provides hospice services to a hospice patient or that provides home health services to a person may receive a patient's prescription orders, including controlled substances, and deliver the prescription orders to the patient.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Pharmacy Practice Act is amended by changing Section 16b as follows:

(225 ILCS 85/16b)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 16b. Prescription pick up and drop off. Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit a pharmacist or pharmacy, by means of its employee or by use of a common carrier or the U.S. mail, at the request of the patient, from picking up prescription orders from the prescriber or delivering prescription drugs to the patient or the patient's agent, including any authorized employee of an organization that an advanced practice registered nurse, practical nurse, or registered nurse licensed under the Nurse Practice Act, or a physician assistant licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987, who provides hospice services to a hospice patient or that who provides home health services to a person, at the residence or place of employment of the person for whom the prescription was issued or at the hospital or medical care facility in which the patient is confined. Conversely, the patient or patient's agent may drop off prescriptions at a designated area. In this Section, "home health services" has the meaning ascribed to it in the Home Health, Home Services, and Home Nursing Agency Licensing Act; and "hospice patient" and "hospice services" have the meanings ascribed to them in the Hospice Program Licensing Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-163, eff. 1-1-16; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

Section 10. The Illinois Controlled Substances Act is amended by changing Section 302 as follows:

(720 ILCS 570/302) (from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 1302)

Sec. 302. (a) Every person who manufactures, distributes, or dispenses any controlled substances; engages in chemical analysis, research, or instructional activities which utilize controlled substances; purchases, stores, or administers euthanasia drugs, within this State; provides canine odor detection services; proposes to engage in the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of any controlled substance; proposes to engage in chemical analysis, research, or instructional activities which utilize controlled substances; proposes to engage in purchasing, storing, or administering euthanasia drugs; or proposes to provide canine odor detection services within this State, must obtain a registration issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in accordance with its rules. The rules shall include, but not be limited to, setting the expiration date and renewal period for each registration under this Act. The Department, any facility or service licensed by the Department, and any veterinary hospital or clinic operated by a veterinarian or veterinarians licensed under the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 or maintained by a State-supported or publicly funded university or college shall be exempt from the regulation requirements of this Section; however, such exemption shall not operate to bar the University of Illinois from requesting, nor the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from issuing, a registration to the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital under this Act. Neither a request for such registration nor the issuance of such registration to the University of Illinois shall operate to otherwise waive or modify the exemption provided in this subsection (a).

(b) Persons registered by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under this Act to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances, engage in chemical analysis, research, or instructional activities which utilize controlled substances, purchase, store, or administer euthanasia drugs, or provide canine odor detection services, may possess, manufacture, distribute, engage in chemical analysis, research, or instructional activities which utilize controlled substances, dispense those substances, or purchase, store, or administer euthanasia drugs, or provide canine odor detection services to the extent authorized by their registration and in conformity with the other provisions of this Article.

(c) The following persons need not register and may lawfully possess controlled substances under this Act:

(1) an agent or employee of any registered manufacturer, distributor, or dispenser of any controlled substance if he or she is acting in the usual course of his or her employer's lawful business or employment;

(2) a common or contract carrier or warehouseman, or an agent or employee thereof, whose possession of any controlled substance is in the usual lawful course of such business or employment;

(3) an ultimate user or a person in possession of a controlled substance prescribed for the ultimate user under a lawful prescription of a practitioner, including any authorized employee of an organization that an advanced practice registered nurse, practical nurse, or registered nurse licensed under the Nurse Practice Act, or a physician assistant licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987, who provides hospice services to a hospice patient or that who provides home health services to a person, or a person in possession of any controlled substance pursuant to a lawful prescription of a practitioner or in lawful possession of a Schedule V substance. In this Section, "home health services" has the meaning ascribed to it in the Home Health, Home Services, and Home Nursing Agency Licensing Act; and "hospice patient" and "hospice services" have the meanings ascribed to them in the Hospice Program Licensing Act;

(4) officers and employees of this State or of the United States while acting in the lawful course of their official duties which requires possession of controlled substances;

(5) a registered pharmacist who is employed in, or the owner of, a pharmacy licensed under this Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act, at the licensed location, or if he or she is acting in the usual course of his or her lawful profession, business, or employment;

(6) a holder of a temporary license issued under Section 17 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987 practicing within the scope of that license and in compliance with the rules adopted under this Act. In addition to possessing controlled substances, a temporary license holder may order, administer, and prescribe controlled substances when acting within the scope of his or her license and in compliance with the rules adopted under this Act.

(d) A separate registration is required at each place of business or professional practice where the applicant manufactures, distributes, or dispenses controlled substances, or purchases, stores, or administers euthanasia drugs. Persons are required to obtain a separate registration for each place of business or professional practice where controlled substances are located or stored. A separate registration is not required for every location at which a controlled substance may be prescribed.

(e) The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or the Illinois State Police may inspect the controlled premises, as defined in Section 502 of this Act, of a registrant or applicant for registration in accordance with this Act and the rules promulgated hereunder and with regard to persons licensed by the Department, in accordance with subsection (bb) of Section 30-5 of the Substance Use Disorder Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(Source: P.A. 99-163, eff. 1-1-16; 99-247, eff. 8-3-15; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18; 100-759, eff. 1-1-19.)