AN ACT INCREASING ACCESS TO IMMUNIZATIONS.
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. Subsection (a) of section 9 of chapter 94C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
A practitioner may cause an immunization to be administered under the practitioner’s direction by a certified medical assistant, as defined in section 265 of chapter 112.
SECTION 2. Chapter 112 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
Section 265. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-
“Certified medical assistant”, an individual who: (i) has graduated from a post-secondary medical assisting education program accredited by the committee on allied health education and accreditation of the American Medical Association or its successor, the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools or its successor or another certificate program that the commissioner of public health may approve; (ii) is employed in the medical practice of a licensed primary care provider; and (iii) performs basic administrative, clerical, and clinical duties upon the specific authorization and under the direct supervision of a licensed primary care provider.
“Direct supervision”, oversight of a certified medical assistant exercised by a primary care provider who is present in the facility and immediately available to furnish assistance and direction throughout the course of the performance of a delegated procedure; provided, however, that the primary care provider shall not be required to be present in the room when the procedure is performed.
“Primary care provider”, a health care professional qualified to provide general medical care for common health care problems who: (i) supervises, coordinates, prescribes or otherwise provides or proposes health care services; (ii) initiates referrals for specialist care; and (iii) maintains continuity of care within the health care professional’s scope of practice.
(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a primary care provider acting within the primary care provider’s designated scope of practice may delegate the administration of an immunization of a patient to a certified medical assistant.
(c) The department of public health shall promulgate regulations governing the administration of immunizations by certified medical assistants. Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the licensure of certified medical assistants.
Approved, August 10, 2016