[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 240 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 240

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to require Department of 
  Veterans Affairs pharmacies to dispense medications to veterans for 
prescriptions written by private health-care practitioners in the case 
 of veterans who, after having made an appointment to see a Department 
of Veterans Affairs physician to obtain such a prescription, have been 
        waiting for longer than 30 days, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2003

   Mr. Mica introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 38, United States Code, to require Department of 
  Veterans Affairs pharmacies to dispense medications to veterans for 
prescriptions written by private health-care practitioners in the case 
 of veterans who, after having made an appointment to see a Department 
of Veterans Affairs physician to obtain such a prescription, have been 
        waiting for longer than 30 days, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Prescription Drug Equity 
Act''

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PHARMACIES TO DISPENSE 
              MEDICATIONS TO VETERANS ON PRESCRIPTIONS WRITTEN BY 
              PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS.

    (a) Authority.--Section 1712(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(d)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2)(A) In addition to drugs and medicines furnished under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall furnish to a qualifying veteran such 
drugs and medicines as may be ordered on prescription of a duly 
licensed physician or other health-care professional in the treatment 
of any illness or injury of the veteran.
    ``(B) A veteran is a qualifying veteran for purposes of this 
paragraph if--
            ``(i) the veteran has made an appointment to see a 
        Department physician for the sole purpose of obtaining a 
        prescription for drugs or medicines in the treatment of any 
        illness or injury of the veteran; and
            ``(ii) a period of not less than 30 days has elapsed since 
        the appointment was made without the veteran obtaining such a 
        prescription.
    ``(C) Any prescription furnished under this paragraph is subject to 
section 1722A of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendments.--(1) The heading of section 1712 of such 
title is amended by striking the sixth through ninth words.
    (2) The item relating to section 1712 in the table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking the 
sixth through ninth words.
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