Advocacy Committee

— 2026 Legislative Update —

TOP BILLS WE ARE WATCHING: 

HB96 – Ivermectin Amendments
Key provisions: Authorizes physicians to issue a standard prescription drug order for ivermectin; allows pharmacists and pharmacy interns to dispense ivermectin without a patient-specific prescription; limits civil and professional liability for prescribers and dispensers acting under the order; clarifies such dispensing is not unlawful or unprofessional conduct.
Committee stance: Oppose due to patient safety concerns and expansion of use without sufficient evidence.
🔗 https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/HB0096.html 

HB97 – Medical Waste Amendments

Key provisions: Allows certain health care facilities to offer the unused portion of a facility-owned medication to the patient under specified circumstances and requires that any facility-provided medication be labeled in accordance with the Pharmacy Practice Act.
Committee stance: Support as a patient-centered approach to reducing medication waste and ensuring proper labeling and safety standards.
🔗 https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/HB0097.html 

HB264 – Prescription Medication Amendments
Key provisions: Removes prescriber notification requirements for substituting drugs on the therapeutically similar list; extends validity of non-controlled substance prescriptions to two years, improving continuity of care and reducing administrative burden.
Committee stance: Support to improve access to medications
🔗 https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/HB0264.html

SB45 – Kratom Adjustments
Key provisions: Reclassifies kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance, prohibiting manufacture, distribution, and sale under Utah law.
Committee stance: Support based on safety and public health concerns.
🔗 https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/SB0045.html

SB48 – Kratom Revision
Key provisions: Classifies 7-hydroxymitragynine above a defined threshold and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl as Schedule I controlled substances, targeting high-potency and higher-risk kratom derivatives.
Committee stance: Support based on safety and public health concerns.
🔗 https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/SB0048.html

SB87 – Naloxone Amendments
Key provisions: Extends good-faith immunity from civil and criminal liability to the administration of expired (<24 months) opiate antagonists; provides that a person licensed under Utah law to dispense an opiate antagonist may dispense an expired opiate antagonist; requires education on the safety, efficacy, and risks of using expired products. 

Committee stance: Support to improve access to naloxone.

🔗 https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/SB0087.html

Questions?

Please get in touch with the USHP Advocacy Committee at advocacy@ushp.org if you have any questions about the bills above, others that make their way through the session, or the legislative process.