SB 251

This bill provides that a pharmacist who is licensed by the Pharmacy

Examining Board (pharmacist) may perform any patient care service that is

delegated to the pharmacist by a physician licensed by the Medical Examining Board

(physician).

Under current law, a nursing facility, as defined under federal law, must

maintain a quality assessment and assurance committee that must identify issues

with respect to which quality assessment and assurance activities are necessary and

must develop and implement appropriate plans of action to correct identified quality

deficiencies. The committee must consist of the director of nursing services, a

physician designated by the nursing facility, and at least three other members of the

nursing facility staff.

This bill allows the quality assessment and assurance committee of a nursing

facility to establish written guidelines or procedures for making therapeutic

alternate drug selections for certain purposes if the committee members include a

pharmacist. This bill also allows a nursing home, as defined under state law, that

does not otherwise maintain a quality assessment and assurance committee under

the federal law requirement for nursing facilities, to maintain a committee

consisting of the director of nursing services, a physician, a pharmacist, and at least

two other members of the nursing home staff. If the nursing home establishes a

committee consisting of those members, the committee may establish written

guidelines or procedures for making therapeutic alternate drug selections in

accordance with the provisions created in the bill.

The bill also adds to the definition of the practice of pharmacy, allowing a

pharmacist to make therapeutic alternate drug selections in accordance with written

guidelines or procedures previously established by a committee of a nursing facility

or nursing home that includes the required membership, as described above. Under

the bill, the use of the therapeutic alternate drug selection must have also been

approved for a patient during the period of the patient's stay within the nursing

facility or nursing home by the patient's personal attending physician; the patient's

physician assistant, if the physician assistant is under the supervision of the

patient's personal attending physician; or the patient's advanced practice nurse

prescriber, if the advanced practice nurse prescriber has entered into a written

agreement to collaborate with the patient's personal attending physician.