AI-assisted research summary: Certain charities, pharmacies, distributors, companies, facilities, and practitioners get liability protection when they donate pharmaceuticals or health care supplies in good faith to needy persons, with exceptions for gross negligence or wanton conduct.
(a) A charitable, religious, or nonprofit organization which in good faith receives pharmaceuticals or health care supplies, apparently fit for human consumption or external use, and distributes them to needy persons at no charge, shall not be liable for any civil damages or criminal penalties resulting from the use of the pharmaceuticals or health care supplies donated to needy persons unless an injury or illness results to those needy persons as a result of that organization's gross negligence or wanton acts or omissions. (b) Any pharmacy, wholesale prescription drug distributor, pharmaceutical company, institutional facility, or practitioner that in good faith provides pharmaceuticals, including previously dispensed prescription drugs, and health care supplies to needy persons without remuneration or expectation of remuneration, shall be exempt from civil liability for injuries and damages resulting from their acts or omissions in providing pharmaceuticals and health care supplies, except for gross negligence, or wanton acts or omissions on the part of the pharmacy, wholesale prescription drug distributor, pharmaceutical company, institutional facility, or practitioner. (c) Any donated, previously dispensed, prescription drug: (1) Shall be in its dispensed, unopened, tamper-evident single user unit; (2) Shall have remained at all times in the control of a person trained and knowledgeable in the storage and administration of drugs in institutional facilities; (3) Shall not have been adulterated, misbranded, or stored under conditions contrary to standards established by the United States Pharmacopoeia or the product manufacturer; and (4) Shall be used before the expiration date on the unit. (d) This section shall not relieve any organization from any other duty imposed upon it by law for the inspection of donated pharmaceuticals or health care supplies or for any provisions regarding the handling of those products, or relieve any health care provider from liability arising out of the prescription of such pharmaceuticals or health care supplies. (e) For purposes of this section: "Needy person" means any natural person who lacks the means to obtain adequate or proper pharmaceuticals or health care supplies as determined by a practitioner at a Hawaii qualified health center established under section 346-41.5, to be in need of service. "Pharmaceutical company" means any company that manufactures pharmaceuticals and health care supplies. "Pharmaceuticals and health care supplies" means any medicine (prescription or nonprescription, excluding all controlled substances listed in chapter 329) or health care supplies such as soap, personal sanitary products, baby formula, dietary supplement, health care aids such as thermometers, surgical gloves, or bandages, or any other item that is customarily fit for human consumption or external use, before the expiration date stamped on the product, if any. "Pharmacy" is as defined in chapter 461. [L 1997, c 337, pt of §2; am L 2001, c 207, §2; am L 2004, c 190, §§7, 11]