The Board of Pharmacy has posted the agenda for second meeting of the workgroup on pharmacists protocols scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. The agenda includes the draft protocols (contraceptives, prenatal vitamins, naloxone, epinephrine, and OTC drugs) and the draft regulation that the workgroup will consider for recommendation to the full board. The joint Board of Pharmacy and Board of Medicine workgroup is required by HB 1506 of 2020 to write protocols to allow pharmacists to initiate therapies and administer medications.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

In response to Governor Ralph Northam’s (D) declared state of emergency regarding COVID-19 and as authorized in §54.1-3307.3, the Board of Pharmacy clarified that pharmacists can perform all CLIA-waived point of care tests, including COVID-19 tests. Additionally, they made updates to their Emergency Provisions During the COVID-19 Declared Emergency that includes waiver of the signature requirement as proof of delivery.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

Physician-Governor Ralph Northam (R) signed HB 1506, a bill that was a priority in NACDS’ Scope of Business Campaign. The new law requires the development of statewide protocols for pharmacists to use to provide a wide range of services including contraceptives, epinephrine, prenatal vitamins, dietary fluoride supplements and prescription medications when the patient’s copay or cost-sharing is less than the cost of the equivalent over-the-counter drug. It also requires the Board of Pharmacy, the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health to convene a workgroup to make recommendations on further statewide protocols allowing pharmacists to administer additional vaccines, provide tobacco cessation therapy and pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and perform simple CLIA-waived testing and tuberculosis testing, and over-the-counter drugs that require a prescription by the patient’s health insurance provider.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

NACDS was on the ground in Richmond again this past weekend to help shepherd the final passage of the conference committee substitute report on HB 1506, just short of the Legislature’s adjournment. HB 1506 was sponsored by Del. Mark Sickles (D) at the request of the Virginia Pharmacists Association (VPhA). The bill would allow pharmacists to provide a wide range of services under statewide protocol including: contraceptives, epinephrine, prenatal vitamins, dietary fluoride supplements and prescription medications when the copay is less than the over the counter version of the same drug. The protocols must be developed by the Board of Pharmacy (BOP) in collaboration with the Board of Medicine (BOM) and Department of Health (VDH) by Nov. 1, 2020. Additionally, the bill requires the Boards and VDH to convene a workgroup to make recommendations on further statewide protocols allowing pharmacists to perform CLIA-waived tests; administer vaccines; and provide tobacco cessation, tuberculosis and HIV therapy; as well as over the counter drugs in certain cases. The workgroup recommendations are also due Nov. 1, 2020. The bill now goes to Gov. Ralph Northam (D) for consideration. NACDS will continue to work with VPhA and the administration to advocate for Gov. Northam’s signature into law.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

• HB 1506 and SB 1026, bills that would expand pharmacists’ scope of practice have been voted favorable out of their respective chamber of origin, meeting the General Assembly’s bill crossover deadline.  NACDS has been on the ground with allies and in-state partners in Richmond to promote their advancement.  We will continue to support those efforts in the second half of the legislative session as the bills are considered by the opposite chambers.  
• SB 830 and HB 1304 also advanced beyond their chambers this week and will be eligible for passage in the opposing chamber. These bills would require pharmacy technicians to receive accredited training and certification

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

NACDS was in attendance as two bills of interest to pharmacy advanced this week in the Virginia Legislature. The Senate Education and Health Subcommittee on Health Professions reported out a substitute version of SB 1026 as amended. The legislation, among other provisions, would expand pharmacists’ ability to immunize adults and test and treat adults for influenza and strep as well as other disease states under protocol.  The legislation was reported out favorably and now will go before the full committee. The Subcommittee also advanced SB 830. This bill would require pharmacy technicians to have accredited training effective July 1, 2022. The bill also requires that the BOP convene a workgroup to make recommendations on expanded duties for technicians. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

As a result of House Joint Resolution 662, the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) in late November and reviewed a report of policy options for pharmacists scope of practice as it relates to Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPAs), Standing Orders and Statewide Protocols. The commission unanimously adopted two options to recommend for legislation in the 2020 Regular Session. One would add independent practice nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the list of practitioners that could be a party to a CPA; the other is a request to the Boards of Pharmacy and Medicine to convene a workgroup to determine if statewide standing orders could be expanded to include other conditions, including CLIA-waived tests.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

As a result of House Joint Resolution 662, the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) met last week and reviewed a report of policy options for pharmacists scope of practice as it relates to Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPAs), Standing Orders and Statewide Protocols. Unfortunately, the Commission did not adopt the policy recommendations that NACDS advocated for in our two rounds of comment letters submitted to the JCHC. Instead, the Commission adopted the following options to recommend for legislation in the 2020 Regular Session – add independent practice nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the list of practitioners that could be a party to a CPA; and request to the Boards of Pharmacy and Medicine to convene a workgroup to determine if statewide standing orders could be expanded to include other conditions, including CLIA-waived tests.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.