West Virginia Legislature
2016 Regular Session
Introduced
House
Bill 2611
2015 Carryover
(By Delegate Perdue, Hamilton, Morgan, Rowe, Rohrbach, Pushkin, Guthrie, Miley, Anderson, Boggs, and Border)
[Introduced January 13, 2016; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then the Judiciary.]
BILL to repeal §60A‑10‑5, §60A‑10‑6, §60A‑10‑8 and §60A‑10‑11 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §60A‑2‑210 and §60A‑2‑212 of said code; and to amend and reenact §60A‑10‑2, §60A‑10‑3, §60A‑10‑4 and §60A‑10‑7; all relating to controlling methamphetamine; requiring certain drug products be obtained by prescription only; moving certain drug products from schedule V to schedule IV; providing an exception for drug products that cannot be feasibly converted into methamphetamine; defining terms; prohibiting pharmacies from selling certain drugs that can be used in the production of methamphetamine without a prescription; creating a criminal offense for possession of certain substances without a prescription with intent to transfer to another to make methamphetamine; permitting the sale of certain drugs without a prescription; removing the requirements of the Multi‑State Real‑Time Tracking System; removing outdated language; providing criminal penalties; and providing rule‑making authority.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §60A‑10‑5, §60A‑10‑6, §60A‑10‑8 and §60A‑10‑11 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be repealed; that §60A‑2‑210 and §60A‑2‑212 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §60A‑10‑2, §60A‑10‑3, §60A‑10‑4 and §60A‑10‑7 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STANDARDS AND SCHEDULES.
§60A‑2‑210. Schedule IV.
(a) Schedule IV shall consist of the drugs and other substances, by whatever official name, common or usual name, chemical name, or brand name designated, listed in this section.
(b) Narcotic drugs. ‑‑ Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture or preparation containing any of the following narcotic drugs, or their salts calculated as the free anhydrous base or alkaloid, in limited quantities as set forth below:
(1) Not more than 1 milligram of difenoxin and not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage unit;
(2) Dextropropoxyphene (alpha‑(+)‑4‑dimethylamino‑1,2‑diphenyl‑3‑methyl‑2‑propionoxybutane).
(c) Depressants. ‑‑ Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances, including its salts, isomers and salts of isomers whenever the existence of such salts, isomers and salts of isomers is possible within the specific chemical designation:
(1) Alprazolam;
(2) Barbital;
(3) Bromazepam;
(4) Camazepam;
(5) Carisoprodol;
(6) Chloral betaine;
(7) Chloral hydrate;
(8) Chlordiazepoxide;
(9) Clobazam;
(10) Clonazepam;
(11) Clorazepate;
(12) Clotiazepam;
(13) Cloxazolam;
(14) Delorazepam;
(15) Diazepam;
(16) Dichloralphenazone;
(17) Estazolam;
(18) Ethchlorvynol;
(19) Ethinamate;
(20) Ethyl loflazepate;
(21) Fludiazepam;
(22) Flunitrazepam;
(23) Flurazepam;
(24) Fospropofol;
(25) Halazepam;
(26) Haloxazolam;
(27) Ketazolam;
(28) Loprazolam;
(29) Lorazepam;
(30) Lormetazepam;
(31) Mebutamate;
(32) Medazepam;
(33) Meprobamate;
(34) Methohexital;
(35) Methylphenobarbital (mephobarbital);
(36) Midazolam;
(37) Nimetazepam;
(38) Nitrazepam;
(39) Nordiazepam;
(40) Oxazepam;
(41) Oxazolam;
(42) Paraldehyde;
(43) Petrichloral;
(44) Phenobarbital;
(45) Pinazepam;
(46) Prazepam;
(47) Quazepam;
(48) Temazepam;
(49) Tetrazepam;
(50) Triazolam;
(51) Zaleplon;
(52) Zolpidem;
(53) Zopiclone.
(d) Any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substance, including its salts, isomers (whether optical, position or geometric) and salts of such isomers whenever the existence of such salts, isomers and salts of isomers is possible: Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine.
(e) Stimulants. ‑‑ Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances having a stimulant effect on the central nervous system, including its salts, isomers and salts of isomers:
(1) Cathine ((+)‑norpseudoephedrine);
(2) Diethylpropion;
(3) Fencamfamin;
(4) Fenproporex;
(5) Mazindol;
(6) Mefenorex;
(7) Modafinil;
(8) Pemoline (including organometallic complexes and chelates thereof);
(9) Phentermine;
(10) Pipradrol;
(11) Sibutramine;
(12) SPA ((‑)‑1‑dimethylamino‑1,2‑diphenylethane).
(f) Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine. ‑‑ Any compound, mixture or preparation containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, their salts or optical isomers, or salts of optical isomers except products which are for pediatric use primarily intended for administration to children under the age of twelve and products which less than eleven percent of the product can be used to manufacture methamphetamine as determined by the board, as set forth in article ten of this chapter: Provided, That neither the offenses set forth in section four hundred one, article four of this chapter, nor the penalties therein, are applicable to ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, which is subject to the provisions of article ten of this chapter.
(f) (g) Other
substances. ‑‑ Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in
another schedule, any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains
any quantity of the following substances, including its salts:
(1) Pentazocine;
(2) Butorphanol;
(3) tramadol hydrochloride.
Amyl nitrite, butyl nitrite, isobutyl nitrite and the other organic nitrites are controlled substances and no product containing these compounds as a significant component shall be possessed, bought or sold other than pursuant to a bona fide prescription or for industrial or manufacturing purposes.
§60A‑2‑212. Schedule V.
(a) Schedule V shall consist of the drugs and other substances, by whatever official name, common or usual name, chemical name, or brand name designated, listed in this section.
(b) Narcotic drugs containing nonnarcotic active medicinal ingredients. Any compound, mixture or preparation containing any of the following narcotic drugs or their salts calculated as the free anhydrous base or alkaloid in limited quantities as set forth below, which shall include one or more nonnarcotic active medicinal ingredients in sufficient proportion to confer upon the compound, mixture or preparation valuable medicinal qualities other than those possessed by the narcotic drug alone:
(1) Not more than 200 milligrams of codeine per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams;
(2) Not more than 100 milligrams of dihydrocodeine per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams;
(3) Not more than 100 milligrams of ethylmorphine per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams;
(4) Not more than 2.5 milligrams of diphenoxylate and not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage unit;
(5) Not more than 100 milligrams of opium per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams;
(6) Not more than 0.5 milligrams of difenoxin and not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage unit.
(c) Stimulants. ‑‑ Unless specifically exempted or excluded or unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances having a stimulant effect on the central nervous system, including its salts, isomers and salts of isomers:
(1) Pyrovalerone.
(d) Any compound, mixture or preparation
containing as its single active ingredient ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or
phenylpropanolamine, their salts or optical isomers, or salts of optical
isomers except products which are for pediatric use primarily intended for
administration to children under the age of twelve: Provided, That
neither the offenses set forth in section four hundred one, article four of
this chapter, nor the penalties therein, shall be applicable to ephedrine,
pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine which shall be subject to the provisions
of article ten of this chapter.
(e) (d) Depressants. ‑‑
Unless specifically exempted or excluded or unless listed in another schedule,
any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of
the following substances having a depressant effect on the central nervous
system, including its salts:
(1) Ezogabine [N‑[2‑amino‑4‑94‑fluorobenzylamino)‑phenyl]‑carbamic acid ethyl ester];
(2)Lacosamide [(R)‑2‑acetoamido‑ N ‑benzyl‑3‑methoxy‑propionamide];
(3) Pregabalin [(S)‑3‑(aminomethyl)‑5‑methylhexanoic acid].
ARTICLE 10. METHAMPHETAMINE LABORATORY ERADICATION ACT.
§60A‑10‑2. Purpose; findings.
The Legislature finds:
(a) That the illegal production and distribution of methamphetamine is an increasing problem nationwide and particularly prevalent in rural states such as West Virginia.
(b) That methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that can be manufactured in small and portable laboratories. These laboratories are operated by individuals who manufacture the drug in a clandestine and unsafe manner, often resulting in explosions and fires that can injure not only the individuals involved, but their families, neighbors, law‑enforcement officers and firemen.
(c) That use of methamphetamine can result in fatal kidney and lung disorders, brain damage, liver damage, blood clots, chronic depression, hallucinations, violent and aggressive behavior, malnutrition, disturbed personality development, deficient immune system and psychosis. Children born to mothers who are abusers of methamphetamine can be born addicted and suffer birth defects, low birth weight, tremors, excessive crying, attention deficit disorder and behavior disorders.
(d) That in addition to the physical consequences to an individual who uses methamphetamine, usage of the drug also produces an increase in automobile accidents, explosions and fires, increased criminal activity, increased medical costs due to emergency room visits, increases in domestic violence, increased spread of infectious diseases and a loss in worker productivity.
(e) That environmental damage is another
consequence of the methamphetamine epidemic. Each pound of methamphetamine
produced leaves behind five to six pounds of toxic waste. Chemicals and
byproducts that result from the manufacture of methamphetamine are often poured
into plumbing systems, storm drains or directly onto the ground. Clean up of
methamphetamine laboratories is extremely resource‑intensive, with an
average remediation cost of $5,000.
(f) That it is in the best interest of
every West Virginian to develop a viable solution to address the growing
methamphetamine problem in the State of West Virginia.
(g) That conversion‑proof pseudoephedrine hydrocloride can provide an over‑the‑counter option that cannot be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
(f) (h) The Legislature
finds That restricting access to over‑the‑counter requiring
a prescription for drugs used that can be converted to
facilitate production of methamphetamine is necessary to protect the public
safety of all West Virginians.
(g) (i) That it is further
in the best interests of every West Virginian to create impediments to the
manufacture of methamphetamine by requiring persons purchasing chemicals
necessary to the process to provide identification.
§60A‑10‑3. Definitions.
In this article:
(a) "Board of Pharmacy" or "board" means the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy established by the provisions of article five, chapter thirty of this code.
(b) "Designated precursor" means any drug product made subject to the requirements of this article by the provisions of section ten of this article.
(c) "Distributor" means any person within this state or another state, other than a manufacturer or wholesaler, who sells, delivers, transfers or in any manner furnishes a drug product to any person who is not the ultimate user or consumer of the product.
(d) "Drug product" means a
pharmaceutical product that contains ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or
phenylpropanolamine or a substance identified on the supplemental list provided
in section seven of this article which may be sold without a prescription
and which is labeled for use by a consumer in accordance with the requirements
of the laws and rules of this state and the federal government.
(e) "Ephedrine " means ephedrine, its salts or optical isomers or salts of optical isomers.
(f) "Manufacturer" means any person within this state who produces, compounds, packages or in any manner initially prepares for sale or use any drug product or any such person in another state if they cause the products to be compounded, packaged or transported into this state.
(g) ANational
Association of Drug Diversion Investigators@ or ANADDI@ means
the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1989, made up of members
who are responsible for investigating and prosecuting pharmaceutical drug
diversion, and that facilitates cooperation between law enforcement, health
care professionals, state regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical manufacturers
in the investigation and prevention of prescription drug abuse and diversion.
(h) AMulti‑State
Real‑Time Tracking System@ or AMSRTTS@ means
the real‑time electronic logging system provided by NADDI at no cost to
states that have legislation requiring real‑time electronic monitoring of
precursor purchases, and agree to use the system. MSRTTS is used by pharmacies
and law enforcement to track sales of over‑the‑counter (OTC) cold
and allergy medications containing precursors to the illegal drug,
methamphetamine.
(i) (g)
"Phenylpropanolamine" means phenylpropanolamine, its salts, optical
isomers and salts of optical isomers.
(j) (h)
"Pseudoephedrine" means pseudoephedrine, its salts, optical isomers
and salts of optical isomers.
(k) (i)
"Precursor" means any substance which may be used along with other
substances as a component in the production and distribution of illegal
methamphetamine.
(l) (j)
"Pharmacist" means an individual currently licensed by this state
to engage in the practice of pharmacist care has the same meaning as
defined in article five, chapter thirty of this code.
(m) (k) "Pharmacy
intern" has the same meaning as the term "intern" as set
forth in section one‑b, article five, chapter thirty of this code.
(n) (l) "Pharmacy"
means any drugstore, apothecary or place within this state where drugs are
dispensed and sold at retail or display for sale at retail and pharmacist care
is provided outside of this state where drugs are dispensed and pharmacist care
is provided to residents of this state has the same meaning as set forth
in article five, chapter thirty of this code.
(o) (m) "Pharmacy
counter" means an area in the pharmacy restricted to the public where
controlled substances are stored and housed and where controlled substances may
only be sold, transferred or dispensed by a pharmacist, pharmacy intern or
pharmacy technician.
(p) (n) "Pharmacy
technician" means a registered technician who meets the requirements
for registration has the same meaning as set forth in article five,
chapter thirty of this code.
(q) (o) "Retail
establishment" means any entity or person within this state who sells,
transfers or distributes goods, including over‑the‑counter drug
products, to an ultimate consumer.
(r) (p) "Schedule
V" means the schedule of controlled substances set out in section two
hundred twelve, section article two of this chapter.
(s) (q)
"Superintendent of the State Police" or "Superintendent"
means the Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police as set forth in section
five, article two, chapter fifteen of this code.
(t) (r)
"Wholesaler" means any person within this state or another state,
other than a manufacturer, who sells, transfers or in any manner furnishes a
drug product to any other person in this state for the purpose of being resold.
§60A‑10‑4. Purchase, receipt, acquisition and possession of substances to be used as precursor to manufacture of methamphetamine or another controlled substance; offenses; exceptions; penalties.
(a) A pharmacy may not sell, transfer or
dispense to the same person, and a person may not purchase more than three
and six‑tenths grams per day, more than seven and two‑tenths grams
in a thirty‑day period or more than forty‑eight grams annually of
ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine without a prescription unless
less than eleven percent of the product can be used to manufacture
methamphetamine as determined by the board. The limits shall apply to
the total amount of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine
contained in the products, and not the overall weight of the products.
(1) Any person who or knowingly purchases,
receives or otherwise possesses more than seven and two‑tenths grams
in a thirty‑day period of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or
phenylpropanolamine in any form without a prescription is guilty of a
misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be confined in a jail for not more than
one year, fined not more than $1,000, or both fined and confined.
(2) Any person who knowingly purchases, receives or otherwise possesses ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine in any form with the intent to transfer the substance to someone that the person knows or should know will use the substance to manufacture methamphetamine is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be confined in a jail for not more than one year, fined not more than $1,000, or both fined and confined.
(2) (3) Any pharmacy,
wholesaler or other entity operating the retail establishment which sells,
transfers or dispenses a product in violation of this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $1,000 for the
first offense, or more than $10,000 for each subsequent offense.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision
(a)(1) subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this section,
any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of the provisions of
said subdivision or a statute or ordinance of the United States or another
state which contains the same essential elements is guilty of a felony and,
upon conviction, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not
less than one nor more than five years, fined not more than $25,000, or both
imprisoned and fined.
(c) The provisions of Subsection
(a) of this section shall does not apply to:
(1) Products dispensed pursuant to a valid
prescription;
(2) (1) Drug products
which are for pediatric use primarily intended for administration to children
under the age of twelve;
(3) Drug products containing ephedrine,
pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, their salts or optical isomers or salts
of optical isomers or other designated precursor which have been determined by
the Board of Pharmacy to be in a form which is not feasible for being used for
the manufacture of methamphetamine; or
(4) (2) Persons lawfully
possessing drug products in their capacities as distributors, wholesalers,
manufacturers, pharmacists, pharmacy interns, pharmacy technicians, or health
care professionals.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this
code to the contrary, any person, who knowingly possesses any amount of
ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine or other designated precursor
with the intent to use it in the manufacture of methamphetamine, who knowingly
compensates, hires or provides other incentives for another person to purchase,
obtain or transfer any amount of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine,
phenylpropanolamine or other designated precursor with the intent to use it in
the manufacture of methamphetamine or who knowingly possesses a substance
containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine or their salts,
optical isomers or salts of optical isomers in a state or form which is, or
has been altered or converted from the state or form in which these chemicals
are, or were, commercially distributed is guilty of a felony and, upon
conviction, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less
than two nor more than ten years, fined not more than $25,000, or both
imprisoned and fined.
(e) (1) Any pharmacy, wholesaler,
manufacturer or distributor of drug products containing ephedrine,
pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, their salts or optical isomers or salts
of optical isomers or other designated precursor shall obtain a registration
annually from the State Board of Pharmacy as described in section six of this
article. Any such pharmacy, wholesaler, manufacturer or distributor shall keep
complete records of all sales and transactions as provided in section eight of
this article. The records shall be gathered and maintained pursuant to
legislative rule promulgated by the Board of Pharmacy.
(2) Any drug products possessed without a
registration as provided in this section are subject to forfeiture upon
conviction for a violation of this section.
(3) In addition to any administrative
penalties provided by law, any violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor,
punishable upon conviction by a fine in an amount not more than $10,000.
§60A‑10‑7. Restricted products; rule‑making authority.
(a) On or before July 1, 2005, The
board of Pharmacy shall promulgate emergency and legislative rules at
any time in 2015 pursuant to the provision of article three, chapter twenty‑nine‑a
of this code to implement a continue the program wherein the
board of Pharmacy shall consults with the superintendent of the State
Police in identifying drug products which are a designated precursor, in
addition to those that contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or
phenylpropanolamine, that are commonly being used in the production and
distribution of methamphetamine. Those drug products which the superintendent of
the State Police have demonstrated by empirical evidence are commonly used
in the manufacture of methamphetamine shall be added to a supplemental list and
shall be subject to all of the restrictions of this article. These The
rules established pursuant to this section shall include:
(1) A process whereby pharmacies are made
aware of all drug products that contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and
phenylpropanolamine that will be listed as a Schedule V IV
substance and must shall be sold, transferred or dispensed from
behind a pharmacy counter;
(2) A process whereby pharmacies and retail establishments are made aware of additional drug products added to Schedule V that are required to be placed behind the pharmacy counter for sale, transfer or distribution can be periodically reviewed and updated.
(3) A process whereby pharmacies are made aware of all drug products that less than eleven percent of the product can be used to manufacture methamphetamine that contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, and may be sold, transferred or dispensed over the counter.
(b) At any time after July 1, 2005, the
Board of Pharmacy, upon the recommendation of the superintendent of the State
Police, shall promulgate emergency and legislative rules pursuant to the
provision of article three, chapter twenty‑nine‑a of this code to
implement an updated supplemental list of products containing the controlled
substances ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine as an active
ingredient or any other drug used as a precursor in the manufacture of
methamphetamine, which the superintendent of the State Police has demonstrated
by empirical evidence is being used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
This listing process shall comport with the requirements of subsection (a) of
this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require a prescription to dispense drug products that contain as an active ingredient ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine and other precursors of methamphetamine. The bill exempts certain products from this requirement. The bill provides criminal penalties and provides rule‑making authority. The bill also repeals §60A‑10‑5, §60A‑10‑6, §60A‑10‑8 and §60A‑10‑11.
Strike‑throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.