California Pharmacist Provider Status Bill (SB 493) heads to the governor

California provider status bill heads to governor

California’s pharmacist provider status bill (SB 493) passed the state Assembly in a unanimous vote on September 11. The state Senate completed final approval September 12. Gov. Jerry Brown of California has until October 13 to act on the bill. 

Introduced on February 21 by state Sen. Ed Hernandez, OD (D-24), SB 493 would declare pharmacists as health care providers with the authority to provide health care services.

“We are excited by the Legislature’s action [on September 11] to recognize pharmacists as integral members of the health care team and give them appropriate authorities consistent with their expertise,” Pat Person, BSPharm, President of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), said in a statement. “Thanks to Senator Hernandez’s leadership, California’s nearly 40,000 pharmacists stand ready to serve and provide greater access to quality health care.”

“We have high hopes that the governor will sign this important bill,” Jon R. Roth, CAE, CPhA CEO, told Pharmacy Today.

The state Senate approved the bill in May. All organized opposition to the bill was dropped after several amendments were made to the bill addressing some organizations’ concerns. The California Medical Association and other physician groups became “neutral” on the amended version.

The California pharmacist provider status bill is part of a package of bills introduced by Hernandez, an optometrist. Bills for nurse practitioners and optometrists did not pass out of Assembly committees, according to news reports.

SB 493 would authorize all licensed pharmacists to administer drugs and biologics by injection when ordered by a prescriber; provide consultation, training, and education about drug therapy, disease management, and disease prevention; participate in multidisciplinary review of patient progress, including appropriate access to medical records; and order and interpret tests to monitor and manage the efficacy and toxicity of drug therapies, in coordination with the patient’s prescriber. 

SB 493 would also authorize all licensed pharmacists to furnish self-administered hormonal contraceptives under a statewide protocol; furnish travel medications not requiring a diagnosis; furnish prescription-levelnicotine replacement drugs for smoking cessation under a statewide protocol; and administer immunizations to patients 3 years and older without a physician protocol.

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