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Senate committee releases bill letting pharmacists provide PrEP and PEP after approving training and safety rules
Summary
The Senate Health Committee released S-2019 with amendments allowing trained pharmacists to furnish HIV pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis without an individual prescription in specified circumstances, expanding allowable PrEP supply to 90 days and tying clinical standards to FDA approvals and CDC guidance.
The New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee released S-2019 on a voice vote after testimony supporting amendments that expand pharmacists’ authority to furnish HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) without an individual prescription under specified conditions.
Committee amendments revise statutory definitions to refer to any drug or drug combination approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration for HIV prevention and to require that pharmacists follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s clinical recommendations. The amendments also allow the Department of Health–approved training program, approved by the State Board of Pharmacy, to satisfy the training requirement for pharmacists to furnish PrEP and PEP.
The substitute raised the maximum PrEP supply a patient may receive without an individual prescription in any given two‑year period from 60 days to 90 days, and it requires a pharmacist to perform or order a federally waived HIV test if the patient does not provide evidence of a recent negative test as required by the bill’s provisions.
Supporters told the committee that pharmacy-based access would reduce barriers and stigma that deter people at higher risk from seeking care. Axel Torres of the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation said pharmacists can reach people who will not visit clinics because of stigma, and urged the committee to release the bill and continue negotiating amendments as needed. Lauren Albrecht of Garden State Equality described the measure as a public‑health step aligned with the governor’s plan to end HIV by 2025 and cited roughly 1,000 new HIV cases per year in the state. Laurie Clark of the New Jersey Pharmacists Association described pharmacist training and existing standing orders (for naloxone and oral contraceptives) as precedent for the program.
The bill also includes a civil‑liability protection clause for pharmacists acting in good faith under the statute and requires parity in reimbursement from health benefits plans when the service otherwise would be covered. Committee members offered no substantive opposition during floor questions and the committee released the bill as amended.
Next steps: S-2019 was released from committee and will be available for further floor or committee consideration in the Legislature.
