Legislative Activity

Governor Bill Lee signs Public Chapter 200 – The Kevin Clauson Drug Donation Act into law

Posted on July 25, 2023

Nashville, Tenn. — July 26, 2023 — The Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA), the only professional association representing pharmacists in all practice areas across the state, today announced Governor Bill Lee officially signed Public Chapter 200 – The Kevin Clauson Drug Donation Act into law on July 12, 2023. Those in attendance included representatives from the TPA, Lipscomb University, Kevin’s family and other elected officials.

This bill, set to take effect on January 1, 2024, will help prevent medication waste and increase access to necessary and life-saving drugs for more individuals, especially those in underserved populations. The bill includes revisions to the Prescription Drug Donation Repository Program, which allows a pharmacy or medical facility to legally accept and dispense donated prescriptions and supplies as long as the donated drugs are safe, appear to be unadulterated and are suitable for dispensing, among other requirements. Some of the revisions include:

The eligibility requirements of donors have been broadened
The definition of “indigent” has been revised to mean an income below six hundred percent (600%) of the federal poverty level
The list of acceptable medications for donation has been expanded to include inhalers, patches, injectables, over-the-counter medications and specialty medications
Regulation changes for accepting and dispensing donated prescription drugs and supplies were made, including a mandate to redact all donor information prior to dispensing the drug

“As the leading state organization for advancing and promoting pharmacist-provided patient care, the Tennessee Pharmacists Association is proud to support the Kevin Clauson Drug Donation Act,” said Anthony Pudlo, TPA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to the impact this legislation will have on uninsured and underinsured patients, especially in underserved areas, as they turn to pharmacists to access these donated medications.”

The Kevin Clauson Drug Donation Act is named in honor of Kevin Clauson, a dedicated pharmacist and pharmacy professor at Lipscomb University and Nova Southeastern University who passed away on September 15, 2022, while undergoing aggressive cancer treatment.

A thought leader and nationally recognized expert in health care informatics and digital health, Professor Clauson is widely published and was a well-respected speaker, having presented across the country, including at Stanford University’s Medicine X program and the White House for the President’s Precision Medicine Initiative in 2016.

“Kevin cared deeply about helping his community, and this bill will allow more Tennesseans to access the life-saving medications they need,” said Angela Clauson, Kevin’s wife. “I’m so grateful that the state is honoring my husband’s legacy with this law and am eagerly waiting for it to take effect next year.”