House committee advances bill allowing non-practitioners to assist with certain legend drugs

The House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Wednesday voted 19-0 to advance a substitute for House Bill 17-20, allowing persons who are not licensed practitioners to provide assistance with certain medications and adopting an amendment that clarifies the change applies to "legend drugs."

Supporters said the bill modernizes who may help administer medicines in care settings where residents need routine assistance, citing insulin pens and other delivery methods that let patients take more control of chronic conditions.

Representative Schmick, who moved the bill and the amendment known as Blake 199, said the change responds to technological advances that let patients self-administer medications with minimal assistance and will be particularly helpful in nursing homes and similar facilities. "This is a reflection of technology and the ability to be able to administer this themselves," Schmick said.

The committee adopted Amendment Blake 199 by voice vote; the amendment adds the word "legend" before "drugs" to specify the category of medicines covered. The committee later voted 19-0 on a roll call to report the proposed substitute bill out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation. Staff announced the final tally as 19 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent or excused.

The substitute bill now moves on from committee; no changes to substantive scope beyond the Blake 199 clarification were recorded in the hearing transcript.

Action on related ambulance-billing changes (House Bill 11-87) was deferred to a later date during the same meeting.