HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3102        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Christine P. Barber

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to pharmacists as healthcare providers.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3102        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4066 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to pharmacists as healthcare providers.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 94C, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after section 19F, the following section:-

Section 19G. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a pharmacist may order, test, screen, and treat the following health conditions: influenza, streptococcal infections, COVID-19 or any other emerging and existing public health threats identified by the department if permitted by an order, rule, or regulation.

b) The department shall establish standard procedures for pharmacists to test, screen and initiate treatment for qualified health conditions.

(c) A pharmacist who orders, tests, screens, or treats health conditions under this section may use any test that may guide clinical decision making that is waived under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988, or the federal rules adopted thereunder, or any established screening procedure that is established via a statewide protocol.

(d) A pharmacist may delegate the administrative and technical tasks of performing a test waived by the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 to a pharmacy technician acting under the supervision of the pharmacist.

(e) This section prohibits the denial of reimbursement under health benefit plans for services and procedures performed by a pharmacist that are within the scope of the pharmacist’s license and would be covered if the services or procedures were performed by a physician, an advanced practice nurse, or physician's assistant. An insurance carrier or pharmacy benefit manager shall develop adequate provider and consult codes as authorized by this act for pharmacy compensation.