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HB2101 • 2026

Drugs, Over the Counter

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4, relative to drugs.

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Faison, Haile
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Signed by H. Speaker
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact fees that manufacturers must pay to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system are not detailed in the bill.

Increasing Purchase Limits for Cold Medicine Ingredients

This bill increases yearly purchase limits of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine from 43.2 grams to 61.2 grams, removes patient counseling requirements, changes the tracking system from NPLEx to an electronic sales tracking system, and requires manufacturers to pay monthly fees starting January 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the yearly limit on buying cold medicine ingredients containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine from 43.2 grams to 61.2 grams.
  • Removes the requirement for pharmacists to provide patient education and counseling when selling products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.
  • Requires pharmacies to use an electronic sales tracking system instead of NPLEx for monitoring purchases of these cold medicine ingredients.
  • Requires manufacturers to pay monthly fees to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system starting January 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who buy products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
  • Pharmacies that sell these products
  • Manufacturers of products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine

Terms To Know

Electronic Sales Tracking System
A system used by pharmacies to track and monitor the purchase of products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.
NPLEx
National Precursor Log Exchange, a system previously required for tracking purchases of cold medicine ingredients.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the increased purchase limits will be enforced.
  • It is unclear what happens if the electronic sales tracking system becomes unavailable or unaffordable.
  • The exact fees that manufacturers must pay to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system are not detailed.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB2101

Plain English: The amendment changes how pharmacies handle over-the-counter products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine by updating rules for electronic tracking and liability protections.

  • Pharmacies must use an electronic sales tracking system to monitor the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, including requirements for data entry and correction procedures.
  • Pharmacies are protected from civil liability if they follow the rules set by the electronic sales tracking system.
  • The amendment removes specific language about counseling patients before selling these products.
  • Some parts of the amendment text are technical and may be hard to understand without additional context.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2323

Plain English: The amendment changes parts of Tennessee law related to over-the-counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine by updating rules for pharmacies and electronic tracking systems.

  • Pharmacies must use an electronic sales tracking system to monitor the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, starting from January 1, 2012.
  • Pharmacists are not civilly liable if they follow rules set by this subsection (e) when using the electronic sales tracking system.
  • The amendment updates references in the law to use 'electronic sales tracking system' instead of specific names like 'NPLEx'.
  • Some parts of the amendment text are technical and may be hard for a general reader to understand fully.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  2. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  3. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 29, Nays 0

  4. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0826)

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  6. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  7. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  8. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/9/2026

  9. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  12. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0870)

  13. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  14. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  15. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/31/2026

  17. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Health Committee

  18. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  20. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  21. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  22. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Judiciary Committee

  23. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  24. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  25. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  26. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  27. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  28. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  30. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee - Health Committee

  31. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  32. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law prohibits a pharmacy from selling products, or a person from purchasing products, containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine base, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers in an amount more than 7.2 grams per person in any period of 30 consec
utive days or 43.2 grams per person in any one-year period. This bill increases the yearly limit that may be sold or purchased from 43.2 grams per year to 61.2 grams per year.

EDUCATION AND COUNSELING

Present law requires a pharmacist to provide a patient education and counseling as a part of the practice of pharmacy when any such product is issued. A pharmacist or pharmacy intern must also counsel with the person seeking to purchase the product as to
the reasons for needing the product and may decline the sale if the pharmacist or pharmacy intern believes the sale is not for a legitimate medical purpose. This bill removes these provisions.

ELECTRONIC SALES TRACKING

Present law requires each pharmacy in this state to use the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) administered by the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI). The NPLEx system must be available free of charge to the pharmacies and
this state. This bill removes the requirement to use NPLEx and, instead, requires each pharmacy to use an electronic sales tracking system adopted by this state for the purpose of recording and monitoring the real-time purchase of products containing ep
he
drine or pseudoephedrine and to prevent or investigate illegal purchases of these products.

Beginning January 1, 2027, this bill requires a manufacturer of an ephedrine or pseudoephedrine product that is sold in or into this state to pay, on a monthly basis, fees to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system. The administrator i
s the entity responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining such electronic recordkeeping system. On an annual basis, the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system must establish the fee levels. Generally, in setting such fees, th
e
administrator of the electronic sales tracking system is prohibited from increasing fees on a year-over-year basis by an amount equal to or in excess of 10%. However, the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system may show that the increase is
directly attributable to cost factors to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system.

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2101, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1
requires, for
a seller that completes an online or remote transaction for a product containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine
, such seller to adhere to all of the following:



To not
complete an online or remote sale of a product containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine unless the purchaser provides a government-issued identification.



To
confirm the government-issued identification through an online electronic sales tracking system that confirms
(i) t
he name of the purchaser;
(ii) t
he government-issued identification number; and
(iii) t
he residential address listed on the government-issued identification.



Prior to completing the sale,
to
submit the transaction to the electronic sales tracking system used in this state to determine whether the purchase would exceed the applicable daily, thirty-day, or yearly limits.



To not
complete the transaction if the electronic sales tracking system indicates that the sale would exceed the applicable limits.

This amendment
additionally
requires a pseudoephedrine or ephedrine product sold through an online or remote transaction
to
only be shipped or delivered to the residential address listed on the purchaser's government-issued identification. A pseudoephedrine or ephedrine product must not be delivered to
a
post office box
or
commercial mail receiving agency
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 2323
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 2101
By Faison
HB2101
011419
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 17, Part 4, relative to drugs.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(c)(4), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(4) This subsection (c) also applies to pharmacist-generated prescription orders
of the product pursuant to § 63-10-206.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(d), is amended by
deleting the following:
The pharmacist or pharmacy intern shall counsel with the person seeking to purchase
the product as to the reasons for needing the product and may decline the sale if the
pharmacist or pharmacy intern believes the sale is not for a legitimate medical purpose.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(e), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(1) By January 1, 2012, each pharmacy in this state shall have in place and
operational all equipment necessary to access and use the electronic sales tracking
system. The electronic sales tracking system shall be available for access and use free
of charge to the pharmacies and this state.
(2) Beginning January 1, 2012, before completing a sale of an over-the-counter
product containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine not otherwise excluded from the
record keeping requirement, a pharmacy shall electronically submit the required
information to the electronic sales tracking system. On learning of a data entry error in
which a transaction was submitted to the electronic sales tracking system when it should

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not have been, the pharmacy shall submit a data entry error correction to the
administrator of the electronic sales tracking system to remedy the error and prevent an
inappropriate stop sale alert from being generated for a person who may seek to
purchase an over-the-counter product containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine.
Except as provided in subsection (j), the seller shall not complete the sale if the system
generates a stop sale alert.
(3) Absent negligence, wantonness, recklessness, or deliberate misconduct, any
pharmacy utilizing the electronic sales tracking system in accordance with this
subsection (e) shall not be civilly liable as a result of any act or omission in carrying out
the duties required by this subsection (e) and shall be immune from liability to any third
party unless the retailer has violated this subsection (e) in relation to a claim brought for
such violation. This subsection (e) shall not apply to a person who obtains the product
or products pursuant to a valid prescription.
(4) The data entered into, stored, and maintained by the electronic sales tracking
system may only be used by law enforcement officials, healthcare professionals, and
pharmacists and only for controlling the sale of methamphetamine precursors.
(5) If, for any reason, the electronic sales tracking system is no longer the
system used in this state to track the sale of methamphetamine precursors, whether
because the system no longer functions, is no longer in existence, is no longer offered to
the state without cost, or is otherwise no longer available, each pharmacy shall switch to
and commence using the Tennessee Methamphetamine Information System (TMIS), as
soon as the equipment necessary to access and use the system is made available at no
charge to the pharmacy. TMIS shall be available for access and use free of charge to
the pharmacies.
(6)

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(A) As of January 1, 2027, any manufacturer of an ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine product that is sold in or into this state must, on a monthly
basis, pay fees to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system.
(B) On an annual basis, the administrator of the electronic sales tracking
system shall establish the fee levels required under subdivision (e)(6)(A). In
setting such fees, the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system is
prohibited from increasing fees on a year-over-year basis by an amount equal to
or in excess of ten percent (10%), unless the administrator of the electronic sales
tracking system can show that the increase is directly attributable to cost factors
to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system, including costs for
labor, services, or materials used to administer the electronic sales tracking
system.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(i), is amended by deleting
the language "NPLEx" wherever it appears and substituting "electronic sales tracking system"
and by deleting the language "NADDI" wherever it appears and substituting "the administrator of
the electronic sales tracking system".
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(j)(1), is amended by
deleting the language "NPLEx" and substituting "The electronic sales tracking system".
SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(j)(2), is amended by
deleting the language "NPLEx" wherever it appears and substituting "electronic sales tracking
system".
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(l), is amended by deleting
subdivisions (l)(1) and (2) and substituting:
(1) The TBI, in cooperation with the administrator of the electronic sales tracking
system, shall devise a method to electronically notify the administrator at least every

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seven (7) days of any person placed on the methamphetamine registry pursuant to § 39-
17-436(b). The notification shall include the first, middle, and last names of the person,
the person's date of birth and the person's driver license number or any other state or
federal identification number. The electronic sales tracking system shall be designed to
generate a stop-sale alert for any purchaser whose name has been submitted to the
registry. Such person shall be prohibited from purchasing nonexempt products at the
point-of-sale using the electronic sales tracking system.
(2) The bureau shall also notify the administrator of the electronic sales tracking
system when a person is removed from the methamphetamine registry pursuant to § 39-
17-436(e). When notified, the person shall be removed from the electronic sales
tracking system and is permitted to purchase nonexempt products.
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(o), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(o) As used in this section:
(1) "Administrator of the electronic sales tracking system" means the
entity responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the electronic
recordkeeping system;
(2) "Electronic sales tracking system" means the electronic tracking
system adopted by this state for the purpose of recording and monitoring the
real-time purchase of products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine and to
prevent or investigate illegal purchases of these products; and
(3) "Pharmacy" means only a pharmacy operating under title 63, chapter
10, which sells any immediate methamphetamine precursor at retail to the public,
including through internet sales.

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SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-431(c), is amended by
deleting the language "Forty-three and two-tenths (43.2) grams" wherever it appears and
substituting instead "Sixty-one and two tenths grams (61.2 g)".
SECTION 10. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.