SENATE BILL REPORT

EHB 2570

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires the Department of Health (DOH) to establish a searchable database available on its website that lists the pharmacies that have one or more pharmacist on staff who have a collaborative drug therapy agreement (CDTA) to prescribe vaccines or self-administered hormonal contraceptives.
Requires pharmacies who employ at least one pharmacist with a CDTA to provide this data to DOH.
Allows DOH to forgo establishing or operating the database if it determines there is a substantially similar statewide database in operation.

Background: The Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (Commission) regulates the practice of pharmacy and enforces all laws placed under its jurisdiction. A pharmacist is a person properly licensed by the Commission to engage in the practice of pharmacy. The practice of pharmacy includes the initiation or modification of drug therapy in accordance with written guidelines or protocols previously established and approved for the pharmacist's practice by a practitioner authorized to prescribe drugs. The written guideline or protocol, also known as a CDTA, is an agreement in which a practitioner authorized to prescribe legend drugs delegates authority to conduct specified prescribing functions to a pharmacist or group of pharmacists. The agreement must include:

the parties subject to the agreement;
a time period not to exceed two years during which the written guidelines or protocol will be in effect; and
the type of prescriptive authority decisions which the pharmacist or pharmacists are authorized to make.

In 2016, the Commission was required to develop a sign or sticker to be displayed on the window or door of a pharmacy that initiates or modifies drug therapy related to self-administered contraception.

Summary of Bill: DOH must establish a searchable database available on its website that lists the pharmacies that have one or more pharmacist on staff that have a CDTA to prescribe vaccines or self-administered hormonal contraceptives, by July 1, 2020. The database must include the name and location of the pharmacy and the general categories of vaccines or self-administered hormonal contraceptives available through one or more pharmacist's CDTA on staff. The database must be searchable by zip code and include a map function. The database must be updated quarterly by DOH.

Pharmacies in the state with one or more pharmacist on staff that prescribe vaccines or hormonal contraceptives through a CDTA must provide the DOH the information necessary for the database, as requested by the DOH, beginning April 1, 2020.

If DOH determines that a statewide association of pharmacists or pharmacies provides a substantially similar database, DOH may forgo establishing or operating the database. If the DOH does not establish the database or stops operating it, pharmacies are no longer required to provide the aforementioned information to DOH.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: It is important for women across the state to have access to contraceptives. Pharmacists play a crucial role in this access. Currently, women have to walk in the door or call a pharmacy in order to know if a pharmacist has a CDTA. This bill will allow women to search through a database to see which pharmacists have CDTAs at multiple pharmacies, at once.

CON: The intent of this bill is supported, however the bill has significant logistical challenges that will impede the goal of patient awareness. There is already a solution being produced, and it is not necessary to use taxpayer dollars. The CDTAs are not linked to a pharmacy’s license, so the PQAC board would have to do additional surveys under this bill. A searchable map and database is already being built for services beyond just contraception. This should be done on a voluntary basis, but should not be required, especially because the information that needs to be collected is not known.