2025 -- H 5852

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LC001836

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- COLLABORATIVE PHARMACY

PRACTICE

     Introduced By: Representatives Solomon, McGaw, Casimiro, and Shanley

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2025

     Referred To: House Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 5-19.2-2 and 5-19.2-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-19.2 entitled

"Collaborative Pharmacy Practice" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     5-19.2-2. Definitions.

     When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases are construed as follows:

     (a)(1) “Collaborative pharmacy practice” is that means the practice of pharmacy whereby

one or more licensed pharmacist(s), with advanced training and experience relevant to the scope of

collaborative practice, agrees to work in collaboration with one or more physicians providers for

the purpose of drug therapy management of patients, such management to be pursuant to a protocol

or protocols written agreement authorized by the physician(s) provider(s) and subject to conditions

and limitations as set forth by the department. A healthcare professional who has prescribing

privileges and is employed with or by a collaborating physician provider may be in such an

agreement.

     (b)(2) “Collaborative practice agreement” means a written and signed agreement, entered

into voluntarily, between one or more licensed pharmacist(s), with advanced training and

experience relevant to the scope of collaborative practice, and one or more physicians referring

providers that defines the collaborative pharmacy practice in which the pharmacist(s) and

physician(s) provider(s) who are parties to the agreement propose to engage. Collaborative practice

agreements shall be made in the best interest of public health, follow clinical guidelines and

standards of care, and be agreed upon guidance with the collaborating provider. Collaborative

practice agreements shall be submitted to the board of pharmacy for record-keeping purposes. No

approval or denial process shall be required, and parties to the collaborative practice agreement

may begin acting pursuant to the agreement when all required documentation is complete. It shall

be the responsibility of the parties to the collaborative practice agreement to respond to the board’s

inquiries and clarify all issues pertinent to the collaborative practice agreement. Collaborative

practice agreements shall be reviewed and signed by the parties thereto annually, and refiled for

record keeping with the board if substantive changes that impact patient care are made.

     (c) “Collaborative practice committee” shall consist of six (6) individuals: three (3)

individuals to be appointed by the board of pharmacy from nominees provided by the Rhode Island

Pharmacists Association and three (3) individuals to be appointed by the board of medical licensure

and discipline from nominees provided by the Rhode Island Medical Society. The collaborative

practice committee shall advise the director on all issues pertinent to the regulation of collaborative

practice agreements.

     (d)(3) “Drug therapy management” means the review, in accordance with a collaborative

practice agreement, of drug therapy regimen or regimens of patients by one or more licensed

pharmacist(s) for the purpose of initiating, adjusting, monitoring, or discontinuing the regimen.

Decisions involving drug therapy management shall be made in the best interests of the patient. In

accordance with a collaborative practice agreement, drug therapy management may include:

     (1)(i) Initiating, adjusting, monitoring, or discontinuing drug therapy;

     (2)(ii) Collecting and reviewing patient histories;

     (3)(iii) Obtaining and checking vital signs, including pulse, height, weight, temperature,

blood pressure, and respiration, or other clinical information as appropriate or necessary to provide

care; and

     (4)(iv) Under the supervision of, or in direct consultation with, one or more physician(s),

ordering and evaluating the results of laboratory tests directly related to drug therapy when

performed in accordance with approved protocols applicable to the practice setting and providing

such evaluation does not include any diagnostic component.

     (e)(4) “Limited-function test” means those tests listed in the federal register under the

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) as waived tests. For the purposes

of this chapter, limited-function test shall include only the following: blood glucose, hemoglobin

A1c, cholesterol tests, and/or other tests that are classified as waived under CLIA and are approved

by the United States Food and Drug Administration for sale to the public without a prescription in

the form of an over-the-counter test kit.

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     (f)(5) “Pharmacist with advanced training and experience relevant to the scope of

collaborative practice” means a licensed pharmacist in this state with a bachelor of science in

pharmacy and postgraduate educational training or a doctor of pharmacy degree. Such training shall

include, but not be limited to, residency training; board certification; certification from an

accredited professional organization educational institution; or any other continuing education

provider approved by the director of health collaborating provider relevant to the proposed scope

of the collaborative practice agreement.

     (g)(6) “Practice of pharmacy” means the interpretation, evaluation, and implementation of

medical orders, including the performance of clinical laboratory tests, provided such testing is

limited to limited-function tests as defined herein; the dispensing of prescription drug orders;

participation in drug and device selection; drug regimen reviews and drug or drug-related research;

provision of patient counseling and the provision of those acts or services necessary to provide

pharmaceutical care; drug therapy management pursuant to a collaborative practice agreement; and

the responsibility for the supervision for compounding and labeling of drugs and devices (except

labeling by a manufacturer, repackager, or distributor of nonprescription drugs and commercially

packaged legend drugs and devices); proper and safe storage of drugs and devices; and maintenance

of proper records for them.

     5-19.2-5. Immunity.

     The director of health, board members, the collaborative practice committee, and their

agents and employees shall be immune from suit in any action, civil or criminal, based on any

disciplinary proceeding or other official act performed in good faith in the course of their duties

under this chapter. There shall be no civil liability on the part of, or cause of action of any nature

against, the board, director, their agents or their employees or against any organization or its

members, peer-review board or its members, or other witnesses and parties to board proceedings

for any statements made in good faith by them in any reports, communications, or testimony

concerning an investigation by the board of the conduct or competence of any licensee under this

chapter.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- COLLABORATIVE PHARMACY

PRACTICE

***

     This act would expand the existing law regarding collaborative practice agreements

between pharmacists and physicians to allow other healthcare providers to enter into such

agreements. This act would also remove the definition of “collaborative practice committee,” and

would require submission of the collaborative practice agreements to the board of pharmacy for

record-keeping purposes.

     This act would take effect on July 1, 2025.

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