Rep. Norine Hammond - You may soon be able to pick up your prescription without a licensed pharmacy member on duty

Have you ever gone to your pharmacy to pick up a prescription only to be told you can’t pick it up because a licensed pharmacy staff member is not on duty?  A current rule in Illinois law has left many people “out in the cold” when it comes to picking up their medicine from their local pharmacy.

Under current state law, licensed pharmacy staff must be present when customers pay for and receive their prescriptions, which means that when the pharmacist goes home for the night, is eating lunch, or even away to the bathroom, customers can’t pick up their medicine – even though it has already been dispensed, filled, packaged, and labeled with the customer’s name on it.

That will all change under legislation sponsored in the Illinois House by House Republican Deputy Leader Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) which was given committee approval Wednesday morning.  Senate Bill 1889 will allow cash register clerks and other store employees to go ahead and process the sale, even though the licensed staff is not present.