State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) secured passage of legislation that will allow pharmacists to fill emergency prescriptions without a doctor’s authorization.  

Stadelman had a personal motivation for introducing the measure. His son, who was 13 at the time, realized during a family vacation that he had no insulin or needles to manage his Type 1 diabetes. Because it was a Saturday, the pharmacy they visited was unable to reach his doctor to authorize a prescription.

“This really drove home to me that getting a prescription filled quickly can be a matter of life or death,” Stadelman said. “I started to do research and saw that many other states allow emergency refills to take place.”

The legislation does not allow emergency refills of controlled substances and caps refills at 30 days.

SB 1790 passed unanimously in the Senate and will move to the House for consideration.