Committee advances pharmacy bill that would fast-track two drugs to Schedule II after FDA approval

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to advance House Bill 382 (LC461487S), a pharmacy-focused measure that the sponsor said began as a technician-supervision bill and expanded to address two specific drug substances.

Representative Ron Stevens, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee that sections 2 and 3 name lysergic-acid derivatives and psilocybin, currently Schedule I substances, and would permit Georgia to treat those two drugs as Schedule II for specified medical indications once the FDA approves them. "If the FDA approves the drugs, they would then be available for use," Stevens said, emphasizing collaboration with the Board of Pharmacy on protocols.

The bill also changes pharmacy supervision language to allow a pharmacist to supervise up to six support personnel at one time (including certified technicians, interns or externs); the pharmacist must remain physically present and oversee those individuals. Committee members confirmed there would never be a circumstance under the bill where no pharmacist is on-site supervising dispensing activity.

Members raised questions about the common names and medical uses for the listed substances; the sponsor identified psilocybin as the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms and said Emory University research was a rationale for studying lysergic derivatives for PTSD. A committee member voiced philosophical disagreement with prior moves on medical marijuana but agreed moving these two substances from Schedule I to Schedule II for study purposes was a reasonable immediate step.

A motion to pass was made (mover: Senator Brass; second: Senator O'Rourke) and the committee approved the bill. The author thanked veterans and other supporters and said he hoped the changes would make treatments available to patients sooner once federal approvals are in place.