---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN THE DRUG PRODUCT SELECTION ACT, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF \"SUBSTITUTE\" TO INCLUDE INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS; TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-30, RELATING TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF EQUIVALENT DRUGS, SO AS TO ALLOW A PHARMACIST TO SUBSTITUTE AN INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT FOR A SPECIFIC BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT; TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS BY PHARMACISTS, SO AS TO ALLOW PHARMACISTS TO SUBSTITUTE INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS WHEN APPROPRIATE; TO AMEND SECTION 40-43-30, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN THE PHARMACY PRACTICE ACT, SO AS TO ADD DEFINITIONS FOR \"BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT\" AND \"INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT\"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 40-43-86, RELATING IN PART TO LABEL REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESCRIPTIONS, SO AS TO ADDRESS LABELING, PRESCRIBER NOTIFICATION, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS. - ratified title"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN THE DRUG PRODUCT SELECTION ACT, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF \"SUBSTITUTE\" TO INCLUDE INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS; TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-30, RELATING TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF EQUIVALENT DRUGS, SO AS TO ALLOW A PHARMACIST TO SUBSTITUTE AN INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT FOR A SPECIFIC BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT; TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS BY PHARMACISTS, SO AS TO ALLOW PHARMACISTS TO SUBSTITUTE INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS WHEN APPROPRIATE; TO AMEND SECTION 40-43-30, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN THE PHARMACY PRACTICE ACT, SO AS TO ADD DEFINITIONS FOR \"BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT\" AND \"INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT\"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 40-43-86, RELATING IN PART TO LABEL REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESCRIPTIONS, SO AS TO ADDRESS LABELING, PRESCRIBER NOTIFICATION, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "H 3438"
citation: "South Carolina H 3438 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["G.M. Smith", "Henderson", "Hiott", "Loftis", "Robinson-Simpson", "Sandifer"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 25
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2017-01-12"
last_action: "2017-04-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/99499a70-61b6-4de7-99bf-9e5efc037b52"
source_url: "http://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3438&session=122&summary=B"
source_hash: "023f0ed2384575a4528a97a5713da2d12d816f84af51874f969ec33f44a50e77"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 3438 (2017-2018) — AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN THE DRUG PRODUCT SELECTION ACT, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF "SUBSTITUTE" TO INCLUDE INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS; TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-30, RELATING TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF EQUIVALENT DRUGS, SO AS TO ALLOW A PHARMACIST TO SUBSTITUTE AN INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT FOR A SPECIFIC BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT; TO AMEND SECTION 39-24-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS BY PHARMACISTS, SO AS TO ALLOW PHARMACISTS TO SUBSTITUTE INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS WHEN APPROPRIATE; TO AMEND SECTION 40-43-30, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN THE PHARMACY PRACTICE ACT, SO AS TO ADD DEFINITIONS FOR "BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT" AND "INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 40-43-86, RELATING IN PART TO LABEL REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESCRIPTIONS, SO AS TO ADDRESS LABELING, PRESCRIBER NOTIFICATION, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO INTERCHANGEABLE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **1/12/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3438_20170112.htm)
2. **2/15/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3438_20170215.htm)
3. **2/21/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3438_20170221.htm)
4. **2/22/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3438_20170222.htm)
5. **3/16/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3438_20170316.htm)
6. **3/23/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3438_20170323.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **104–0** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **95–0** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **37–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- G.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Henderson — primary (person)
- Hiott — primary (person)
- Loftis — primary (person)
- Robinson-Simpson — primary (person)
- Sandifer — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-12** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-01-12** Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2017-01-18** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: G.M.Smith
- **2017-01-19** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Sandifer, Hiott
- **2017-02-15** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-02-21** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Loftis
- **2017-02-21** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2017-02-21** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2017-02-21** Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-0
- **2017-02-21** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Robinson-Simpson
- **2017-02-22** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-02-22** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-22** Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-22** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2017-03-16** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-23** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2017-03-23** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2017-03-23** Roll call Ayes-37 Nays-0
- **2017-03-29** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-04-04** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2017-04-04** Roll call Yeas-95 Nays-0
- **2017-04-19** Ratified R 20
- **2017-04-24** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2017-04-27** Effective date 4/24/17
- **2017-04-28** Act No. 11

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/99499a70-61b6-4de7-99bf-9e5efc037b52`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).