Subject of Possible Rule Making: Expanding the types of actions allowed for nonpractitioners providing medication assistance services. The pharmacy quality assurance commission (commission) is considering amending WAC 246-945-714 related to the regulation of medication assistance provided by nonpractitioners. The potential amendment of actions allowed for nonpractitioners would bring WAC 246-945-714 in line with changes made to RCW 69.41.010(15) following the passage of SHB 1720 (chapter 26, Laws of 2025).

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The 2025 Washington state legislature passed SHB 1720, which expands the types of medication assistance that may be provided to residents of community-based care settings. In addition to updating some language in RCW 69.41.010, SHB 1720 also allows the "setting up of diabetic devices for self-administration or handing injectable medications to an individual for self-administration" by a nonpractitioner under the scope of medication assistance as defined in RCW 69.41.010(15).

The commission adopted a rule on the topic of medication assistance in 2025, which was filed under WSR 25-08-072 and went into effect on May 2, 2025. The rule updated and reestablished medication assistance language under the commission's regulatory jurisdiction. WAC 246-945-714, one of the sections of rule created under the commission's medication assistance rule, uses language from RCW 69.41.010(15) to outline which actions are and are not allowed for nonpractitioners in the provision of medication assistance. With the passage of SHB 1720, the commission determined that it may need to amend WAC 246-945-714 to match the updated language in the statutory definition for medication assistance.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The Washington state department of social and health services (DSHS) regulates community-based and in-home care settings where medication assistance services are provided. The commission worked with DSHS over the course of earlier rule making on the topic of medication assistance. The commission will communicate updates as rule making proceeds via GovDelivery and direct email to parties, including DSHS, that wish to be included on the commission's interested party list.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Joshua Munroe, P.O. Box 47582, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone 360-502-5058, fax 360-236-2901, TTY 711, email PharmacyRules@doh.wa.gov.

Additional comments: Rule development takes place in open public meetings prior to a formal rule proposal and comment period. All rule-making notices are sent via GovDelivery. To receive notices, interested persons may sign up by going to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/subscriber/new. After signing up, please click open the box labeled "Health Systems Quality Assurance." Next, click open the box labeled "Health Professions," then, check the boxes next to either "Pharmacy Commission Meeting and Agenda" and/or "Pharmacy Commission Newsletter."