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Committee hears updates to pharmacist prescriptive authority bill; sponsor working on clarifying language
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Summary
Representative Genevieve Mina summarized House Bill 195 to allow limited prescriptive authority for pharmacists under collaborative agreements for conditions like flu and strep; committee members asked for draft language clarifying exclusions for certain controlled substances and procedures before further action.
Representative Genevieve Mina (House District 19) presented a recap of House Bill 195, describing the measure as a limited‑scope reform to increase access to timely primary care by authorizing pharmacists to provide certain patient services under collaborative agreements. Mina said the intention is narrow: pharmacists would have limited prescriptive authority for defined primary‑care conditions (examples cited: influenza, strep throat, uncomplicated urinary tract infections) and not be enabled to "practice medicine."
Mina told the committee sponsor staff are working with pharmacist stakeholders and have requested drafting assistance from legal counsel. "The language that we are working on would prohibit prescription and administration of certain controlled substances except for drugs that were needed to treat opioid use disorder within the setting of a clinic," Mina said, adding that pharmacists would be prohibited from providing medication without required certification or being beyond a limited network.
Staff to the sponsor, Katie Georgiou, said the team has model language from Colorado and hopes the drafted language will allow a broad but safety‑focused approach that excludes specialty drugs without proper certification (she specifically named antipsychotics, general opioids except for medication‑assisted treatment uses, and mifepristone as examples of drugs to be controlled by training or exclusion).
Committee members asked whether draft text is ready; Mina said legal drafting is pending and staff will circulate language as soon as it is available. Representative Thomas Shevsky (Tom Shevsky) asked whether mifepristone would be clarified; Mina and staff said the bill would prohibit dispensing mifepristone by pharmacists absent additional certification and that current law already limits pharmacists’ ability to dispense it. Representative Galvin and others expressed support for a broader, safety‑focused limit rather than legislation focused on a single product.
Co‑Chair Foster said the committee will set an amendment deadline by email or at its 9 a.m. meeting; no final action was taken on HB195 during the session. The committee adjourned at 2:39 p.m.
