Alabama 2023 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB499 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	HB499INTRODUCED
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3	3	YP5S62-1
4	4	By Representative Whorton
5	5	RFD: Health
6	6	First Read: 18-May-23
7	7	2023 Regular Session
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12	12	5 YP5S62-1 05/18/2023 JC (L)tgw 2023-1125
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14	14	SYNOPSIS:
15	15	Existing law requires Ivermectin to be dispensed
16	16	by a pharmacist only on the prescription of a licensed
17	17	physician.
18	18	This bill would permit a physician, a
19	19	physician's assistant, or a certified registered nurse
20	20	practitioner to give a pharmacist a standing order that
21	21	has been approved by the State Board of Pharmacy to
22	22	dispense Ivermectin to individuals without a
23	23	prescription. The standing order would contain a
24	24	protocol providing the pharmacist with guidelines for
25	25	providing Ivermectin to individuals who request it.
26	26	This bill would prohibit health care providers
27	27	and pharmacists from participating in any program or
28	28	receiving any benefit that would induce them to
29	29	encourage patients or the public to use Ivermectin.
30	30	This bill would also prohibit health care
31	31	providers qualified to give a standing order and
32	32	pharmacists who follow a standing order from being
33	33	subject to disciplinary action from the respective
34	34	governing licensing board as a result of dispensing
35	35	Ivermectin.
36	36	A BILL
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66	66	TO BE ENTITLED
67	67	AN ACT
68	68	Relating to prescription drugs; to provide for the
69	69	dispensing of Ivermectin by a pharmacist without an individual
70	70	prescription pursuant to a standing order issued by a
71	71	physician, physician's assistant, or certified registered
72	72	nurse practitioner; to protect physicians, physician's
73	73	assistants, certified registered nurse practitioners, and
74	74	pharmacists from licensure disciplinary action due to
75	75	dispensing Ivermectin.
76	76	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
77	77	Section 1. For the purposes of this act, the following
78	78	terms have the following meanings:
79	79	(1) HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. A physician licensed by the
80	80	Medical Licensure Commission pursuant to Article 8, Chapter 24
81	81	of Title 34, Code of Alabama 1975; a physician's assistant
82	82	licensed by the State Board of Medical Examiners pursuant to
83	83	Article 7, Chapter 24 of Title 34, Code of Alabama 1975; or a
84	84	certified registered nurse practitioner licensed and certified
85	85	by the Board of Nursing pursuant to Article 5, Chapter 21 of
86	86	Title 34, Code of Alabama 1975.
87	87	(2) STANDING ORDER. A prescription order that is not
88	88	patient specific.
89	89	Section 2. A pharmacist may dispense Ivermectin without
90	90	a prescription to an individual who is 19 years of age or
91	91	older, or to an unemancipated individual under the age of 19
92	92	upon written consent of the individual's parent or legal
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122	122	guardian, pursuant to a standing order that has received the
123	123	approval of the State Board of Pharmacy and is signed by a
124	124	health care provider.
125	125	Section 3. The standing order shall include all of the
126	126	following:
127	127	(1) A risk assessment protocol for use by the
128	128	pharmacist to screen an individual who requests Ivermectin and
129	129	which includes a plan for treating adverse events.
130	130	(2) A standardized information sheet that provides the
131	131	following information for the individual who is dispensed
132	132	Ivermectin:
133	133	a. Indications and contraindications for the use of
134	134	Ivermectin.
135	135	b. Instructions for using Ivermectin.
136	136	c. A statement on the importance of follow-up care and
137	137	health care referral information.
138	138	(3) A form for the pharmacist to record the completion
139	139	of the risk assessment protocol and the dosage dispensed to
140	140	the individual.
141	141	Section 4. No health care provider who signs a standing
142	142	order, and no pharmacist who dispenses Ivermectin pursuant to
143	143	a standing order, shall participate in any program or accept
144	144	anything of value that induces the health care provider or
145	145	pharmacist to affirmatively commend or endorse the use of
146	146	Ivermectin to an individual or the public.
147	147	Section 5. (a) The governing licensing board shall not
148	148	take disciplinary action against a health care provider who
149	149	signs a standing order for Ivermectin which has been approved
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179	179	by the State Board of Pharmacy based on a pharmacist's
180	180	dispensing of Ivermectin pursuant to that standing order.
181	181	(b) The State Board of Pharmacy shall not take
182	182	disciplinary action against a pharmacist based upon any of the
183	183	following:
184	184	(1) The pharmacist's failure in good faith to correctly
185	185	interpret and follow the standing order upon dispensing
186	186	Ivermectin.
187	187	(2) A defect in the standing order upon which the
188	188	pharmacist relies when dispensing Ivermectin.
189	189	(3) The pharmacist's refusal to dispense Ivermectin
190	190	upon the request of an individual, notwithstanding the
191	191	existence of a standing order for Ivermectin signed by a
192	192	health care provider and authorized by the State Board of
193	193	Pharmacy covering the pharmacist's employer or practice.
194	194	Section 6. The State of Board of Pharmacy shall adopt
195	195	rules to implement and administer this act.
196	196	Section 7. This act shall not constitute standards of,
197	197	nor be construed as evidence for, the practice of medicine or
198	198	the practice of pharmacy. Nothing in this act shall alter,
199	199	amend, or supersede any provision of Section 6-5-333, Code of
200	200	Alabama 1975, or the Alabama Medical liability Act of 1987
201	201	commencing with Section 6-5-540, Code of Alabama 1975, or the
202	202	Alabama Medical Liability Act of 1996, commencing with Section
203	203	6-5-548, Code of Alabama 1975, or any amendment to any of the
204	204	foregoing, or any judicial interpretation of the foregoing.
205	205	Evidence of compliance or noncompliance with this act shall
206	206	not be admissible to prove the negligence or the breach of any
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236	236	other standard of care of any party in any civil action.
237	237	Section 8. This act shall become effective on the first
238	238	day of the third month following its passage and approval by
239	239	the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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