HB 1297 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to electronic prescribing; amending s. 2
456.42, F.S.; revising health care practitioners who 3
may only electronically transmit prescriptions for 4
certain drugs; revising exceptions; amending ss. 5
458.347 and 459.022, F.S.; conforming cross -6
references; providing an effective date. 7
8
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9
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Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 456.42, 11
Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (2) and (3), 12
respectively, and present subsection (3) of that section is 13
renumbered as subsection (1) and amended, to read: 14
456.42 Written Prescriptions for medicinal drugs. — 15
(1)(3) A health care practiti oner licensed by law to 16
prescribe a medicinal drug who maintains a system of electronic 17
health records as defined in s. 408.051(2)(c), or who prescribes 18
medicinal drugs as an owner, an employee, or a contractor of a 19
licensed health care facility or practic e that maintains such a 20
system of electronic health records as defined in s. 21
408.051(2)(c) and who is prescribing in his or her capacity as 22
such an owner, an employee, or a contractor , may only 23
electronically transmit prescriptions for such drugs. This 24
requirement applies to such a health care practitioner upon 25
HB 1297 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
renewal of the health care practitioner's license or by July 1, 26
2026 2021, whichever is earlier, but does not apply if: 27
(a) The practitioner prescribes fewer than 100 such 28
prescriptions annually; 29
(b) The practitioner is located in an area for which a 30
state of emergency is declared pursuant to s. 252.36; or 31
(a) The practitioner and the dispenser are the same 32
entity; 33
(b) The prescription cannot be transmitted electronically 34
under the most recent ly implemented version of the National 35
Council for Prescription Drug Programs SCRIPT Standard; 36
(c) The practitioner has been issued a waiver by the 37
department, not to exceed 1 year in duration, from the 38
requirement to use electronic prescribing due to de monstrated 39
economic hardship, technological limitations that are not 40
reasonably within the control of the practitioner, or another 41
exceptional circumstance demonstrated by the practitioner ; 42
(d) The practitioner reasonably determines that it would 43
be impractical for the patient in question to obtain a medicinal 44
drug prescribed by electronic prescription in a timely manner 45
and such delay would adversely impact the patient's medical 46
condition; 47
(e) The practitioner is prescribing a drug under a 48
research protocol; 49
(f) The prescription is for a drug for which the federal 50
HB 1297 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Food and Drug Administration requires the prescription to 51
contain elements that may not be included in electronic 52
prescribing; 53
(g) The prescription is issued to an individual receiving 54
hospice care or who is a resident of a nursing home facility; or 55
(h) The practitioner determines that it is in the best 56
interest of the patient, or the patient determines that it is in 57
his or her own best interest, to compare prescription drug 58
prices among area pharmacies. The practitioner must document 59
such determination in the patient's medical record . 60
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The department, in consultation with the Board of Medicine, the 62
Board of Osteopathic Medicine, the Board of Podiatric Medicine, 63
the Board of Dentistry, the Board of Nursing, and the Board of 64
Optometry, may adopt rules to implement this subsection. 65
Section 2. Paragraph (e) of subsection (4) of section 66
458.347, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 67
458.347 Physician assistants. — 68
(4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYS ICIAN ASSISTANTS.— 69
(e) A supervising physician may delegate to a fully 70
licensed physician assistant the authority to prescribe or 71
dispense any medication used in the supervising physician's 72
practice unless such medication is listed on the formulary 73
created pursuant to paragraph (f). A fully licensed physician 74
assistant may only prescribe or dispense such medication under 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
the following circumstances: 76
1. A physician assistant must clearly identify to the 77
patient that he or she is a physician assistant. 78
2. The supervising physician must notify the department of 79
his or her intent to delegate, on a department -approved form, 80
before delegating such authority and of any change in 81
prescriptive privileges of the physician assistant. Authority to 82
dispense may be delegated only by a supervising physician who is 83
registered as a dispensing practitioner in compliance with s. 84
465.0276. 85
3. A fully licensed physician assistant may procure 86
medical devices and drugs unless the medication is listed on the 87
formulary created pursuant to paragraph (f). 88
4. The physician assistant must complete a minimum of 10 89
continuing medical education hours in the specialty practice in 90
which the physician assistant has prescriptive privileges with 91
each licensure renewal. Three of the 10 h ours must consist of a 92
continuing education course on the safe and effective 93
prescribing of controlled substance medications which is offered 94
by a statewide professional association of physicians in this 95
state accredited to provide educational activities d esignated 96
for the American Medical Association Physician's Recognition 97
Award Category 1 credit, designated by the American Academy of 98
Physician Assistants as a Category 1 credit, or designated by 99
the American Osteopathic Association as a Category 1 -A credit. 100
HB 1297 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
5. The prescription may be in paper or electronic form but 101
must comply with ss. 456.0392(1) and 456.42(2) 456.42(1) and 102
chapter 499 and must contain the physician assistant's name, 103
address, and telephone number and the name of each of his or her 104
supervising physicians. Unless it is a drug or drug sample 105
dispensed by the physician assistant, the prescription must be 106
filled in a pharmacy permitted under chapter 465 and must be 107
dispensed in that pharmacy by a pharmacist licensed under 108
chapter 465. 109
6. The physician assistant must note the prescription or 110
dispensing of medication in the appropriate medical record. 111
Section 3. Paragraph (e) of subsection (4) of section 112
459.022, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 113
459.022 Physician assistants. — 114
(4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS. — 115
(e) A supervising physician may delegate to a fully 116
licensed physician assistant the authority to prescribe or 117
dispense any medication used in the supervising physician's 118
practice unless such medication is listed on the formulary 119
created pursuant to s. 458.347. A fully licensed physician 120
assistant may only prescribe or dispense such medication under 121
the following circumstances: 122
1. A physician assistant must clearly identify to the 123
patient that she or he is a physici an assistant. 124
2. The supervising physician must notify the department of 125
HB 1297 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
her or his intent to delegate, on a department -approved form, 126
before delegating such authority and of any change in 127
prescriptive privileges of the physician assistant. Authority to 128
dispense may be delegated only by a supervising physician who is 129
registered as a dispensing practitioner in compliance with s. 130
465.0276. 131
3. A fully licensed physician assistant may procure 132
medical devices and drugs unless the medication is listed on the 133
formulary created pursuant to s. 458.347(4)(f). 134
4. The physician assistant must complete a minimum of 10 135
continuing medical education hours in the specialty practice in 136
which the physician assistant has prescriptive privileges with 137
each licensure renewal . Three of the 10 hours must consist of a 138
continuing education course on the safe and effective 139
prescribing of controlled substance medications which is offered 140
by a provider that has been approved by the American Academy of 141
Physician Assistants and which is designated for the American 142
Medical Association Physician's Recognition Award Category 1 143
credit, designated by the American Academy of Physician 144
Assistants as a Category 1 credit, or designated by the American 145
Osteopathic Association as a Category 1 -A credit. 146
5. The prescription may be in paper or electronic form but 147
must comply with ss. 456.0392(1) and 456.42(2) 456.42(1) and 148
chapter 499 and must contain the physician assistant's name, 149
address, and telephone number and the name of each of his or her 150
HB 1297 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
supervising physicians. Unless it is a drug or drug sample 151
dispensed by the physician assistant, the prescription must be 152
filled in a pharmacy permitted under chapter 465, and must be 153
dispensed in that pharmacy by a pharmacist licensed under 154
chapter 465. 155
6. The physician assistant must note the prescription or 156
dispensing of medication in the appropriate medical record. 157
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 158