FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1304

C 70 L 11

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning the administration of drugs by health care assistants.

Sponsors: House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Jinkins, Harris, Green, Cody, Van De Wege, Kelley, Schmick, Bailey, Clibborn, Moeller, Hinkle and Reykdal).

House Committee on Health Care & Wellness

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care

Background:

A certified health care assistant is authorized to provide assistance to certain licensed health care practitioners, such as physicians, nurses, and naturopaths. A licensed health practitioner may delegate certain functions to the health care assistant such as administering skin tests and injections and performing blood withdrawals.

Each health care assistant is certified by the facility in which he or she is employed, or by the practitioner who delegates functions to the health care assistant, pursuant to standards adopted by the Department of Health (DOH) in rule. The facility or practitioner must submit a roster of certified health care assistants to the DOH.

Health care assistants are divided into seven different categories based on differing educational, training, and experiential requirements. The different tasks each category of health care assistant may perform are as follows (all health care assistants may administer vaccines):

• Category A: venous and capillary invasive procedures for blood withdrawal;

• Category B: arterial invasive procedures for blood withdrawal;

• Category C: intradermal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular injections for diagnostic agents and the administration of skin tests;

• Category D: intravenous injections for diagnostic agents;

• Category E: intradermal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular injections and the administration of skin tests;

• Category F: intravenous injections for therapeutic agents; and

• Category G: hemodialysis.

In 2009 legislation was enacted authorizing health care assistants to administer certain over-the-counter drugs (e.g., Benadryl, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, Neosporin) and certain legend drugs (e.g., kenalog, hydrocortisone cream, raglan, compazine). The administration of these drugs is limited to oral, topical, rectal, otic, ophthalmic, or inhaled routes and must be pursuant to a written order of a supervising health care practitioner. Only category C or E health care assistants may administer oral drugs.

The provisions allowing health care assistants to administer drugs expire on July 1, 2013.

Summary:

Only category C or E health care assistants may administer over-the-counter drugs and legend drugs (as opposed to oral over-the-counter and legend drugs). The DOH must adopt any rules necessary to implement this limitation.

Votes on Final Passage: