1. A facility for skilled nursing or a facility for intermediate care may return a prescription drug that is dispensed to a patient of the facility, but will not be used by that patient, to the dispensing pharmacy for the purpose of reissuing the drug to fill other prescriptions for patients in that facility or for the purpose of transferring the drug to a nonprofit pharmacy designated by the State Board of Pharmacy pursuant to NRS 639.2676 if:

(a) The drug is not a controlled substance;

(b) The drug is dispensed in a unit dose, in individually sealed doses or in a bottle sealed by the manufacturer of the drug;

(c) The drug is returned unopened and sealed in the original manufacturer’s packaging or bottle;

(d) The usefulness of the drug has not expired;

(e) The packaging or bottle contains the expiration date of the usefulness of the drug; and

(f) The name of the patient for whom the drug was originally prescribed, the prescription number and any other identifying marks are obliterated from the packaging or bottle before the return of the drug.

2. A dispensing pharmacy to which a drug is returned pursuant to this section may:

(a) Reissue the drug to fill other prescriptions for patients in the same facility if the registered pharmacist of the pharmacy determines that the drug is suitable for that purpose in accordance with standards adopted by the State Board of Pharmacy pursuant to subsection 5; or

(b) Transfer the drug to a nonprofit pharmacy designated by the State Board of Pharmacy pursuant to NRS 639.2676.

3. No drug that is returned to a dispensing pharmacy pursuant to this section may be used to fill other prescriptions more than one time.

4. A facility for skilled nursing or facility for intermediate care shall adopt written procedures for returning drugs to a dispensing pharmacy pursuant to this section. The procedures must:

(a) Provide appropriate safeguards for ensuring that the drugs are not compromised or illegally diverted during their return.

(b) Require the maintenance and retention of such records relating to the return of drugs to dispensing pharmacies as are required by the State Board of Pharmacy.

(c) Be approved by the State Board of Pharmacy.

5. The State Board of Pharmacy shall adopt such regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, including, without limitation, requirements for:

(a) Returning and reissuing such drugs pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(b) Transferring drugs to a nonprofit pharmacy pursuant to the provisions of this section and NRS 639.2676.

(c) Maintaining records relating to the return and the use of such drugs to fill other prescriptions.

(Added to NRS by 2003, 1372; A 2009, 1087)