Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-919 WAC, allopathic physicians, and chapter 246-918 WAC, allopathic physician assistants, the Washington medical commission (commission) is considering creating new rule sections to regulate the use of collaborative drug therapy agreements (CDTA).

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: One aspect of the practice of medicine is working with pharmacists to deliver drug therapy to patients. This coordination can take many forms, but the commission's concern involves treating patients under a collaborative drug therapy agreement (CDTA). These arrangements occur pursuant to a written agreement entered into by an individual physician or physician assistant and an individual pharmacist.

The pharmacy quality assurance commission (PQAC) has adopted a rule that governs CDTAs from the pharmacy perspective, however there are no statutes or rules that govern a physician's responsibilities under a CDTA. A rule is needed to define the roles and responsibilities of the physician or physician assistant who enters into a CDTA, any defined limit to the number of pharmacists who may have a CDTA with any one physician or physician assistant, and how the physician or physician assistant and pharmacist can best collaborate under these agreements.

Regulating the use of CDTAs would place the commission in an active patient safety role. Rule making would provide clarity around this issue to help avoid potential discipline and increase patient safety. New sections being considered will potentially benefit the public's health by ensuring participating providers are informed and regulated by current national industry and best practice standards.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: PQAC, the commission will collaborate with PQAC on this rule-making effort.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Amelia Boyd, Program Manager, P.O. Box 47866, Olympia, WA 98504-7866, phone 360-236-2727, TTY 711, email amelia.boyd@wmc.wa.gov, website wmc.wa.gov.

Additional comments: To join the interested parties email list, please visit https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/subscriber/new?topic_id=WADOH_153.