Sec. 20-14a. Prescription of drugs by generic name. Disclosure to patient. Labeling.
Sec. 20-14a. Prescription of drugs by generic name. Disclosure to patient. Labeling. (a) For the purposes of this section, "brand name" means the name the manufacturer places upon a drug or pharmaceutical or on its container, label, or wrapping at the
time of packaging; and "generic name" means the chemical name or formula or the
established name designated in the official United States Pharmacopoeia, official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary, or any
supplement to any of them.
(b) Any physician, surgeon or other person authorized to prescribe drugs within
this state, who prescribes a drug, shall in each such prescription, oral or written, include
the generic name thereof, if any, unless such physician, surgeon or other person authorized to prescribe drugs, in the exercise of his professional judgment, prescribes a specific
brand name drug. The physician, surgeon or other person so authorized shall state to
the patient for whom a drug is being prescribed, or to his parent or guardian, the name
of the drug or medicine being prescribed, either orally or in writing, and all licensed
pharmacists dispensing prescriptions and all health care institutions or facility pharmacies shall label the container containing said medication or prescription with the name
as provided by the physician, surgeon or other person so authorized, the strength of each
dose prescribed and the date of refill if said prescription is a refill, except if the physician,
surgeon or other person so authorized expressly forbids the placing of said drug or
medicine name on the prescription label or package. On all prescriptions, whether or
not a generic name is stated, the physician, surgeon or other person so authorized shall,
if the patient is over the age of sixty-five, include a notation to that effect.
(c) It is declared to be the public policy of this state that generic name of drugs be
used in prescriptions wherever feasible.
(1972, P.A. 15, S. 1-3; June, 1972, P.A. 1, S. 1; P.A. 73-242.)
History: June, 1972 act rephrased Subsec. (c) for clarity; P.A. 73-242 required physician to inform patient or his parent
or guardian of the name of the drug or medicine prescribed and required prescription label to contain drug name, strength
of dose and refill date, unless physician forbids placing name on label.
See Sec. 17a-714a re legal protections for licensed health care professionals who prescribe opioid antagonists to
drug users.
See Sec. 20-14c et seq. re dispensing of drugs by licensed practitioners.
Sec. 20-8a et seq. cited. 207 C. 346.