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CS/HB 1209 — Administration of Vaccines
by Professions and Public Health Subcommittee and Rep. Tuck and others (CS/SB 1892 by Health Policy Committee and Senator Burgess)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Health Policy Committee (HP)
The bill expands the scope of practice of registered pharmacy technicians by authorizing a qualified pharmacy technician to administer certain immunizations and vaccines to adults under the supervision of a certified pharmacist.
The bill requires pharmacy technicians seeking to administer vaccines and immunizations to be certified to do so pursuant to a certification program approved by the Board of Pharmacy (BOP) in consultation with the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine. The certification program must have at least six hours of immunization-related training approved by the BOP that must, at a minimum, have a curriculum of instruction concerning the safe and effective administration of such vaccines, including, but not limited to, potential allergic reactions. As a condition of registration renewal, the bill also requires registered pharmacy technicians seeking to administer vaccines and immunizations to have at least two hours of continuing education approved by the BOP in addition to the biennial continuing education required under preexisting law.
The bill also updates the statutory list of immunizations and vaccines that pharmacists, registered pharmacy interns, and (under the bill) registered pharmacy technicians may become certified to administer, in terms of the dates that immunizations and vaccines have been included in the Adult Immunization Schedule published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have been recommended by the CDC for international travel, or have been licensed for use or authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The bill revises such dates to March 31, 2022, instead of April 30, 2021.
The bill also provides that a registered pharmacy intern or registered pharmacy technician who administers an immunization or vaccine must be supervised by a certified pharmacist at a ratio of one pharmacist to a maximum of five registered interns or registered pharmacy technicians, or a combination thereof.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2022.
Vote: Senate 35-3; House 115-1