Ginal’s Bipartisan Bill to Implement Automated Pharmacy Dispensing Systems Signed into Law

HB23-1195 will improve access to prescriptions in areas with pharmaceutical staffing shortages

DENVER, CO – Today, the Governor signed Senator Joann Ginal’s, D-Fort Collins, bipartisan bill to make it easier for Coloradans to access essential prescription drugs.

HB23-1195, cosponsored by Senator Barb Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, will allow pharmacies to operate automated prescription dispensing machines so patients can access their medication outside of regular pharmacy business hours.

“Coloradans who depend on prescription medications can’t always make it to a pharmacy to pick up their drugs during business hours,” said Ginal. “This new law will make it easier for Coloradans to get medications they need by removing unnecessary roadblocks and will help more people access their prescriptions without compromising important pharmaceutical safeguards.”

The machines will contain medications commonly prescribed in the pharmacy’s geographic area, and customers will have to confirm their identity with a pharmacist via a live video. They will also help alleviate staffing shortages by enabling pharmacists to serve patients in multiple localities simultaneously.

Colorado is the fourth state to allow automated pharmacy dispensing systems, after California, Illinois, and Arizona.