2025 -- S 0683
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LC001783
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- COLLABORATIVE PHARM ACY
PRACTICE
Introduced By: Senators Valverde, Lauria, Murray, Thompson, and Appollonio
Date Introduced: March 07, 2025
Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 5-19.2-2 and 5-19.2-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-19.2 entitled 1
"Collaborative Pharmacy Practice" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
5-19.2-2. Definitions. 3
When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases are construed as follows: 4
(a)(1) “Collaborative pharmacy practice” is that means the practice of pharmacy whereby 5
one or more licensed pharmacist(s), with advanced training and experience relevant to the scope of 6
collaborative practice, agrees to work in collaboration with one or more physicians providers for 7
the purpose of drug therapy management of patients, such management to be pursuant to a protocol 8
or protocols written agreement authorized by the physician(s) provider(s) and subject to conditions 9
and limitations as set forth by the department. A healthcare professional who has prescribing 10
privileges and is employed with or by a collaborating physician provider may be in such an 11
agreement. 12
(b)(2) “Collaborative practice agreement” means a written and signed agreement, entered 13
into voluntarily, between one or more licensed pharmacist(s), with advanced training and 14
experience relevant to the scope of collaborative practice, and one or more physicians referring 15
providers that defines the collaborative pharmacy practice in which the pharmacist(s) and 16
physician(s) provider(s) who are parties to the agreement propose to engage. Collaborative practice 17
agreements shall be made in the best interest of public health, follow clinical guidelines and 18
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standards of care, and be agreed upon guidance with the collaborating provider. Collaborative 1
practice agreements shall be submitted to the board of pharmacy for record-keeping purposes. No 2
approval or denial process shall be required, and parties to the collaborative practice agreement 3
may begin acting pursuant to the agreement when all required documentation is complete. It shall 4
be the responsibility of the parties to the collaborative practice agreement to respond to the board’s 5
inquiries and clarify all issues pertinent to the collaborative practice agreement. Collaborative 6
practice agreements shall be reviewed and signed by the parties thereto annually, and refiled for 7
record keeping with the board if substantive changes that impact patient care are made. 8
(c) “Collaborative practice committee” shall consist of six (6) individuals: three (3) 9
individuals to be appointed by the board of pharmacy from nominees provided by the Rhode Island 10
Pharmacists Association and three (3) individuals to be appointed by the board of medical licensure 11
and discipline from nominees provided by the Rhode Island Medical Society. The collaborative 12
practice committee shall advise the director on all issues pertinent to the regulation of collaborative 13
practice agreements. 14
(d)(3) “Drug therapy management” means the review, in accordance with a collaborative 15
practice agreement, of drug therapy regimen or regimens of patients by one or more licensed 16
pharmacist(s) for the purpose of initiating, adjusting, monitoring, or discontinuing the regimen. 17
Decisions involving drug therapy management shall be made in the best interests of the patient. In 18
accordance with a collaborative practice agreement, drug therapy management may include: 19
(1)(i) Initiating, adjusting, monitoring, or discontinuing drug therapy; 20
(2)(ii) Collecting and reviewing patient histories; 21
(3)(iii) Obtaining and checking vital signs, including pulse, height, weight, temperature, 22
blood pressure, and respiration, or other clinical information as appropriate or necessary to provide 23
care; and 24
(4)(iv) Under the supervision of, or in direct consultation with, one or more physician(s), 25
ordering and evaluating the results of laboratory tests directly related to drug therapy when 26
performed in accordance with approved protocols applicable to the practice setting and providing 27
such evaluation does not include any diagnostic component. 28
(e)(4) “Limited-function test” means those tests listed in the federal register under the 29
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) as waived tests. For the purposes 30
of this chapter, limited-function test shall include only the following: blood glucose, hemoglobin 31
A1c, cholesterol tests, and/or other tests that are classified as waived under CLIA and are approved 32
by the United States Food and Drug Administration for sale to the public without a prescription in 33
the form of an over-the-counter test kit. 34
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(f)(5) “Pharmacist with advanced training and experience relevant to the scope of 1
collaborative practice” means a licensed pharmacist in this state with a bachelor of science in 2
pharmacy and postgraduate educational training or a doctor of pharmacy degree. Such training shall 3
include, but not be limited to, residency training; board certification; certification from an 4
accredited professional organization educational institution; or any other continuing education 5
provider approved by the director of health collaborating provider relevant to the proposed scope 6
of the collaborative practice agreement. 7
(g)(6) “Practice of pharmacy” means the interpretation, evaluation, and implementation of 8
medical orders, including the performance of clinical laboratory tests, provided such testing is 9
limited to limited-function tests as defined herein; the dispensing of prescription drug orders; 10
participation in drug and device selection; drug regimen reviews and drug or drug-related research; 11
provision of patient counseling and the provision of those acts or services necessary to provide 12
pharmaceutical care; drug therapy management pursuant to a collaborative practice agreement; and 13
the responsibility for the supervision for compounding and labeling of drugs and devices (except 14
labeling by a manufacturer, repackager, or distributor of nonprescription drugs and commercially 15
packaged legend drugs and devices); proper and safe storage of drugs and devices; and maintenance 16
of proper records for them. 17
5-19.2-5. Immunity. 18
The director of health, board members, the collaborative practice committee, and their 19
agents and employees shall be immune from suit in any action, civil or criminal, based on any 20
disciplinary proceeding or other official act performed in good faith in the course of their duties 21
under this chapter. There shall be no civil liability on the part of, or cause of action of any nature 22
against, the board, director, their agents or their employees or against any organization or its 23
members, peer-review board or its members, or other witnesses and parties to board proceedings 24
for any statements made in good faith by them in any reports, communications, or testimony 25
concerning an investigation by the board of the conduct or competence of any licensee under this 26
chapter. 27
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 28
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- COLLABORATIVE PHAR MACY
PRACTICE
***
This act would expand the existing law regarding collaborative practice agreements 1
between pharmacists and physicians to allow other healthcare providers to enter into such 2
agreements. This act would also remove the definition of “collaborative practice committee,” and 3
would require submission of the collaborative practice agreements to the board of pharmacy for 4
record-keeping purposes. 5
This act would take effect on July 1, 2025. 6
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