SB 586 Text

Introduced Version Senate Bill 586 History

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sb586 intr Senate Bill No. 586
(By Senators Prezioso, McCabe, Kessler and Yoder)
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[Introduced February 6, 2008; referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §30-5-1b of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend said code by adding thereto two new sections, designated §30-5-6b and §30-5-30, all relating generally to the scope of practice of pharmacists; defining terms; authorizing pharmacists to remotely dispense and deliver prescription drugs; authorizing pharmacists to administer certain specified immunizations; requiring pharmacists complete approved vaccine administration courses; providing that pharmacists may not delegate the authority to administer vaccines; and authorizing legislative rule-making authority.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §30-5-1b of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto two new sections, designated §30-5-6b and §30-5-30, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. PHARMACISTS, PHARMACY TECHNICIANS, PHARMACY INTERNS
AND PHARMACIES.
§30-5-1b. Definitions.
The following words and phrases, as used in this article, have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) "Administer" means the direct application of a drug to the body of a patient or research subject by injection, inhalation, ingestion or any other means.
(2) "Board of Pharmacy" or "board" means the West Virginia State Board of Pharmacy.
(3) "Collaborative pharmacy practice" is that practice of pharmacy where one or more pharmacists have jointly agreed, on a voluntary basis, to work in conjunction with one or more physicians under written protocol where the pharmacist or pharmacists may perform certain patient care functions authorized by the physician or physicians under certain specified conditions and limitations.
(4) "Collaborative pharmacy practice agreement" is a written and signed agreement between a pharmacist, a physician and the individual patient, or the patient's authorized representative who has granted his or her informed consent, that provides for collaborative pharmacy practice for the purpose of drug therapy management of a patient, which has been approved by the Board of Pharmacy, the Board of Medicine in the case of an allopathic physician or the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy in the case of an osteopathic physician.
(5) "Compounding" means:
(A) The preparation, mixing, assembling, packaging or labeling of a drug or device:
(i) As the result of a practitioner's prescription drug order or initiative based on the practitioner/patient/pharmacist relationship in the course of professional practice for sale or dispensing; or
(ii) For the purpose of, or as an incident to, research, teaching or chemical analysis and not for sale or dispensing; and
(B) The preparation of drugs or devices in anticipation of prescription drug orders based on routine, regularly observed prescribing patterns.
(6) "Confidential information" means information maintained by the pharmacist in the patient record or which is communicated to the patient as part of patient counseling or which is communicated by the patient to the pharmacist. This information is privileged and may be released only to the patient or to other members of the health care team and other pharmacists where, in the pharmacists' professional judgment, the release is necessary to the patient's health and well-being; to health plans, as that term is defined in 45 CFR §160.103, for payment; to other persons or governmental agencies authorized by law to receive the privileged information; as necessary for the limited purpose of peer review and utilization review; as authorized by the patient or required by court order. Appropriate disclosure, as permitted by this section, may occur by the pharmacist either directly or through an electronic data intermediary, as defined in subdivision (14) of this section.
(7) "Deliver" or "delivery" means the actual, constructive or attempted transfer of a drug or device from one person to another, whether or not for a consideration.
(8) "Device" means an instrument, apparatus, implement or machine, contrivance, implant or other similar or related article, including any component part or accessory, which is required under federal law to bear the label, "Caution: Federal or state law requires dispensing by or on the order of a physician."
(9) "Dispense" or "dispensing" means the preparation and delivery of a drug or device in an appropriately labeled and suitable container to a patient or patient's representative or surrogate pursuant to a lawful order of a practitioner for subsequent administration to, or use by, a patient.
(10) "Distribute" means the delivery of a drug or device other than by administering or dispensing.
(11) "Drug" means:
(A) Articles recognized as drugs in the USP-DI, facts and comparisons, physician's desk reference or supplements thereto for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in human or other animals;
(B) Articles, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of human or other animals; and
(C) Articles intended for use as a component of any articles specified in paragraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision.
(12) "Drug regimen review" includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:
(A) Evaluation of the prescription drug orders and patient records for:
(I) Known allergies;
(ii) Rational therapy-contraindications;
(iii) Reasonable dose and route of administration; and
(iv) Reasonable directions for use.
(B) Evaluation of the prescription drug orders and patient records for duplication of therapy.
(C) Evaluation of the prescription drug for interactions and/or adverse effects which may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
(I) Drug-drug;
(ii) Drug-food;
(iii) Drug-disease; and
(iv) Adverse drug reactions.
(D) Evaluation of the prescription drug orders and patient records for proper use, including overuse and underuse, and optimum therapeutic outcomes.
(13) "Drug therapy management" means the review of drug therapy regimens of patients by a pharmacist for the purpose of evaluating and rendering advice to a physician regarding adjustment of the regimen in accordance with the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. Decisions involving drug therapy management shall be made in the best interest of the patient. Drug therapy management shall be limited to:
(A) Implementing, modifying and managing drug therapy according to the terms of the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement;
(B) Collecting and reviewing patient histories;
(C) Obtaining and checking vital signs, including pulse, temperature, blood pressure and respiration;
(D) Ordering screening laboratory tests that are dose related and specific to the patient's medication or are protocol driven and are also specifically set out in the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement between the pharmacist and physician.
(14) "Electronic data intermediary" means an entity that provides the infrastructure to connect a computer system, hand-held electronic device or other electronic device used by a prescribing practitioner with a computer system or other electronic device used by a pharmacist to facilitate the secure transmission of:
(A) An electronic prescription order;
(B) A refill authorization request;
(C) A communication; or
(D) Other patient care information.
(15) "E-prescribing" means the transmission, using electronic media, of prescription or prescription-related information between a practitioner, pharmacist, pharmacy benefit manager or health plan as defined in 45 CFR §160.103, either directly or through an electronic data intermediary. E-prescribing includes, but is not limited to, two-way transmissions between the point of care and the pharmacist. E-prescribing may also be referenced by the terms "electronic prescription" or "electronic order".
(16) "Intern" means an individual who is:
(A) Currently registered by this state to engage in the practice of pharmacy while under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and is satisfactorily progressing toward meeting the requirements for licensure as a pharmacist; or
(B) A graduate of an approved college of pharmacy or a graduate who has established educational equivalency by obtaining a foreign pharmacy graduate examination committee (FPGEC) certificate who is currently licensed by the board for the purpose of obtaining practical experience as a requirement for licensure as a pharmacist; or
(C) A qualified applicant awaiting examination for licensure; or
(D) An individual participating in a residency or fellowship program.
(17) "Labeling" means the process of preparing and affixing a label to a drug container exclusive, however, of a labeling by a manufacturer, packer or distributor of a nonprescription drug or commercially packaged legend drug or device. Any label shall include all information required by federal law or regulation and state law or rule.
(18) "Mail-order pharmacy" means a pharmacy, regardless of its location, which dispenses greater than ten percent prescription drugs via the mail.
(19) "Manufacturer" means a person engaged in the manufacture of drugs or devices.
(20) "Manufacturing" means the production, preparation, propagation or processing of a drug or device, either directly or indirectly, by extraction from substances of natural origin or independently by means of chemical or biological synthesis and includes any packaging or repackaging of the substance or substances or labeling or relabeling of its contents and the promotion and marketing of the drugs or devices. Manufacturing also includes the preparation and promotion of commercially available products from bulk compounds for resale by pharmacies, practitioners or other persons.
(21) "Clinical medical home" means a clinic where a patient's care includes the development of a plan of care, the determination of the outcomes desired, facilitation and navigation of the health care system, provision of follow-up and support for achieving the identified outcomes. The clinical medical home maintains a centralized, comprehensive record of all health related services to provide continuity of care.
~~(19)~~ (22) "Nonprescription drug" means a drug which may be sold without a prescription and which is labeled for use by the consumer in accordance with the requirements of the laws and rules of this state and the federal government.
~~(20)~~ (23) "Patient counseling" means the oral communication by the pharmacist of information, as defined in the rules of the board, to the patient to improve therapy by aiding in the proper use of drugs and devices.
~~(21)~~ (24) "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association or any other legal entity, including government.
~~(22)~~ (25) "Pharmaceutical care" is the provision of drug therapy and other pharmaceutical patient care services intended to achieve outcomes related to the cure or prevention of a disease, elimination or reduction of a patient's symptoms or arresting or slowing of a disease process as defined in the rules of the board.
~~(23)~~ (26) "Pharmacist" or "registered pharmacist" means an individual currently licensed by this state to engage in the practice of pharmacy and pharmaceutical care.
~~(24)~~ (27) "Pharmacist-in-charge" means a pharmacist currently licensed in this state who accepts responsibility for the operation of a pharmacy in conformance with all laws and rules pertinent to the practice of pharmacy and the distribution of drugs and who is personally in full and actual charge of the pharmacy and personnel.
~~(25)~~ (28) "Pharmacist's scope of practice pursuant to the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement" means those duties and limitations of duties placed upon the pharmacist by the collaborating physician, as jointly approved by the Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Medicine or the Board of Osteopathy.
~~(26)~~ (29) "Pharmacy" means any drugstore, apothecary or place within this state where drugs are dispensed and sold at retail or displayed for sale at retail and pharmaceutical care is provided and any place outside of this state where drugs are dispensed and pharmaceutical care is provided to residents of this state.
~~(27)~~ (30) "Physician" means an individual currently licensed, in good standing and without restrictions, as an allopathic physician by the West Virginia Board of Medicine, or an osteopathic physician by the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy.
~~(28)~~ (31) "Pharmacy technician" means registered supportive personnel who work under the direct supervision of a pharmacist who have passed an approved training program as described in this article.
~~(29)~~ (32) "Practitioner" means an individual currently licensed, registered or otherwise authorized by any state, territory or district of the United States to prescribe and administer drugs in the course of professional practices, including allopathic and osteopathic physicians, dentists, physician's assistants, optometrists, veterinarians, podiatrists and nurse practitioners as allowed by law.
~~(30)~~ (33) "Preceptor" means an individual who is currently licensed as a pharmacist by the board, meets the qualifications as a preceptor under the rules of the Board and participates in the instructional training of pharmacy interns.
~~(31)~~ (34) "Prescription drug" or "legend drug" means a drug which, under federal law, is required, prior to being dispensed or delivered, to be labeled with either of the following statements:
(A) "Caution: Federal law prohibits dispensing without prescription"; or
(B) "Caution: Federal law restricts this drug to use by, or on the order of, a licensed veterinarian"; or a drug which is required by any applicable federal or state law or rule to be dispensed pursuant only to a prescription drug order or is restricted to use by practitioners only.
~~(32)~~ (35) "Prescription drug order" means a lawful order of a practitioner for a drug or device for a specific patient.
~~(33)~~ (36) "Prospective drug use review" means a review of the patients' drug therapy and prescription drug order, as defined in the rules of the Board, prior to dispensing the drug as part of a drug regimen review.
~~(34)~~ (37) "USP-DI" means the United States pharmacopeia- dispensing information.
~~(35)~~ (38) "Wholesale distributor" means any person engaged in wholesale distribution of drugs, including, but not limited to, manufacturers' and distributors' warehouses, chain drug warehouses and wholesale drug warehouses, independent wholesale drug trader and retail pharmacies that conduct wholesale distributions.
§30-5-6b. Remote delivery of prescriptions; rule-making authority.
To improve patient access to prescription drugs, the board shall propose legislative rules pursuant to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to permit pharmacists to remotely dispense and deliver prescription drugs filled by a licensed pharmacist to a patient's clinical medical home for dispensing to the patient. The legislative rule shall provide for patient counseling by a licensed pharmacist via telephone or video link.
§30-5-30. Administration of immunizations.
(a) A pharmacist licensed under the provisions of this article and meeting the requirements of this section may administer the influenza immunization to any person eighteen years of age or older under joint legislative rules promulgated jointly by the Board of Pharmacy, the Board of Medicine and the Osteopathy Board in accordance with the provisions of section twenty-eight of this article. These legislative rules shall be administered by the Board of Pharmacy.
(b) The joint legislative rules shall, at a minimum:
(1) Establish a course, or provide a list of approved courses, in immunization administration. The courses must be based on the standards established for such courses by the centers for disease control and prevention in the public health service of the United States Department of Health and Human Services;
(2) Set forth definitive treatment guidelines, established by a physician, which shall include, but not be limited to, appropriate observation for an adverse reaction of an individual following an immunization;
(3) Provide that to administer immunizations, a pharmacist shall complete an American Red Cross or American Heart Association basic life-support training, and maintain certification in the same. The immunizations shall be administered in accordance with the treatment guidelines established in the rule;
(4) Set forth continuing education requirements for pharmacists administering immunization;
(5) Provide requirements for pharmacists administering immunizations to report to the primary care physician or other licensed health care provider as identified by the person receiving the immunization and to the West Virginia Statewide Immunization Information System; and
(6) Provide any other procedures necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
(c) A pharmacist may not delegate the authority to administer immunizations to any other person.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to expand the scope of practice of pharmacists to allow them to remotely dispense and deliver prescription drugs and to administer certain specified vaccinations.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

§30-5-6b and §30-5-30 are new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.