NRS639.595. Transactions involving prescription drugs.

      1.  A wholesaler may sell a prescription drug only if the sale is a bona fide transaction.

      2.  A wholesaler may purchase a prescription drug only from:

      (a) A manufacturer;

      (b) A pharmacy or practitioner if that pharmacy or practitioner maintains a valid license in the State in which the pharmacy or practitioner is domiciled; or

      (c) Another wholesaler if:

             (1) The wholesaler who sells the drug is licensed by the Board; and

             (2) The sale is a bona fide transaction.

      3.  A wholesaler may receive a prescription drug from a pharmacy or practitioner only if the wholesaler does not pay the pharmacy or practitioner an amount, either in cash or credit, that is more than the price for which the wholesaler sells such prescription drugs to other pharmacies or practitioners at the time of return and:

      (a) The prescription drug was originally shipped to the pharmacy or practitioner by the wholesaler; or

      (b) The prescription drug could not be returned by the pharmacy or practitioner to the original wholesaler.

Ê If a wholesaler receives a prescription drug pursuant to this subsection and the wholesaler subsequently sells the prescription drug to another wholesaler, the prescription drug must be accompanied by a statement of prior sales as defined in NRS 639.535.

      4.  The Board shall not limit the quantity of prescription drugs a wholesaler may purchase, sell, distribute or otherwise provide to another wholesaler, distributor or manufacturer.

      5.  For the purposes of this section:

      (a) A purchase shall be deemed a bona fide transaction if:

             (1) The wholesaler purchased the drug:

                   (I) Directly from the manufacturer of the drug; or

                   (II) With a reasonable belief that the drug was originally purchased directly from the manufacturer of the drug;

             (2) The circumstances of the purchase reasonably indicate that the drug was not purchased from a source prohibited by law;

             (3) Unless the drug is purchased by the wholesaler from the manufacturer, before the wholesaler sells the drug to another wholesaler, the wholesaler who sells the drug conducts a reasonable visual examination of the drug to ensure that the drug is not:

                   (I) Counterfeit;

                   (II) Deemed to be adulterated or misbranded in accordance with the provisions of chapter 585 of NRS;

                   (III) Mislabeled;

                   (IV) Damaged or compromised by improper handling, storage or temperature control;

                   (V) From a foreign or unlawful source; or

                   (VI) Manufactured, packaged, labeled or shipped in violation of any state or federal law relating to prescription drugs;

             (4) The drug is shipped directly from the wholesaler who sells the drug to the wholesaler who purchases the drug; and

             (5) The documents of the shipping company concerning the shipping of the drug are attached to the invoice for the drug and are maintained in the records of the wholesaler.

      (b) A sale shall be deemed a bona fide transaction if the wholesaler sells the prescription drug only to:

             (1) A pharmacy or practitioner if that pharmacy or practitioner maintains a valid license in the state in which the pharmacy or practitioner is domiciled.

             (2) Another wholesaler who maintains a valid license in the state in which he or she is domiciled if the wholesaler who sells the prescription drug has complied with NRS 639.575, 639.580 and 639.585.

      (c) The purchase or sale of a prescription drug includes, without limitation, the distribution, transfer, trading, bartering or any other provision of a prescription drug to another person by a wholesaler. A transfer of a prescription drug from a wholesale facility of a wholesaler to another wholesale facility of the wholesaler shall not be deemed a purchase or sale of a prescription drug pursuant to this section if the wholesaler is a corporation whose securities are publicly traded and regulated by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

      (Added to NRS by 2003, 2278; A 2005, 1618)—(Substituted in revision for NRS 639.2615)