Adiagnosisofcancerisinitiallydevastatingtoafamily。Somanyunansweredquestions：Willtherethepain，physicalchangesandhowcanIcopeiflosemylovedone？ThelastquestionafamilyneedstoaskatthistimeishowcanIaffordthetreatment。ThistheheartfeltsentimentofSen。VickiMcDonaldwiththeCancerDrugRepositoryProgramAct，LB756，introducedinthenewlegislativesession。Thepurposeofthebillistoallowfamilieswithunusedcancermedicationstodonatethemtoapharmacy，hospitalornonprofitmedicalclinic。Themedicationswouldbeinspectedandreissuedtoanothercancerpatient。

Evenso，becauseoftheexactingstandardsofmedicalpracticethatatenecessarytoprotectpatients，wehaveseriousreservationsabouttheMcDonaldbill。Theproposalrequiresmedicationstobeintheiroriginal，sealed，tamperevident，unit－dosepackaging。Anexceptionallowsthepackagingtobeopened，buttheunitdosesealmuststillbeintact。Medicationsacceptedintotheprogrammustalsohaveanexpirationdatelongerthansixmonthsaway。

TheDepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesischargedwithsettinguptheprogram，establishingthecriteriaforinspectingthedrugs，determiningwhatmedicationswillbeacceptedandthemaximumhandlingfeeadispensingfacilitycancharge。Thebillalsorequiresthepersonreceivingthemedicationtosignaformreleasingliabilitytothedispensingfacility，state，manufacturer，etc。，forpotentiallyalteredmedications。Thissoundslikeacompassionate，caringmethodofhelpingoneaspectofcopingwithcancer。Thenagain，wouldthebenefitofsuchaprogramoutweightherisktoevenonepatientwhosemedicationwasnoteffectivebecauseitsatinahotcarforalengthoftimeandthepotencyhaddiminished？

LB756isanadmirableattemptfordonationofexpensivemedicationsbacktocancerpatients。Inreality，however，fewpharmacieswillbeabletomaintainthepaperworkprocessrequiredinthisbill。Inaddition，fewlocalpharmacieshandlechemotherapymedicationdistribution。

Patientsafetyisapriorityinmosthealthcareprofessional‘‘‘‘spractice。Thethoughtofdispensingamedicationwherethehandlingofitcouldnotbetrackedviolatestherulesofasafe，professionalpractice。Cancerpatientstendtobesomeofourmostvulnerablepatients。Manytimestheirimmunesystemsareseverelycompromisedfromthecancermedicationsandtreatment。Evenaslighterrororalterationoftheirmedicationcouldhaveadevastating，negativeeffect。TheCancerDrugRepositoryActhasthebestintentionsofthesepatientsinmindtohelpmeetthefinancialburdenofcancertreatment。Eventhebestintentions，however，arenotalwaystherightthingtodo。