Bill Text: TX HB594 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the provision of telepharmacy services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-04-17 - Left pending in committee [HB594 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB594-Introduced.html
  88R748 KKR-D
 
  By: Shaheen H.B. No. 594
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the provision of telepharmacy services.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 562.110(e), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (e)  The board shall adopt rules regarding the use of a
  telepharmacy system under this section, including:
               (1)  [the types of health care facilities at which a
  telepharmacy system may be located under Subsection (d)(1), which
  must include the following facilities:
                     [(A)  a clinic designated as a rural health clinic
  regulated under 42 U.S.C. Section 1395x(aa);
                     [(B)  a health center as defined by 42 U.S.C.
  Section 254b; and
                     [(C)  a federally qualified health center as
  defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1396d(l)(2)(B);
               [(2)  the locations eligible to be licensed as remote
  dispensing sites, which must include locations in medically
  underserved areas, areas with a medically underserved population,
  and health professional shortage areas determined by the United
  States Department of Health and Human Services;
               [(3)]  licensing and operating requirements for remote
  dispensing sites, including:
                     (A)  a requirement that a remote dispensing site
  license identify the provider pharmacy that will provide pharmacy
  services at the remote dispensing site;
                     (B)  a requirement that a provider pharmacy be
  allowed to provide pharmacy services at not more than two remote
  dispensing sites;
                     (C)  [a requirement that a pharmacist employed by
  a provider pharmacy make at least monthly on-site visits to a remote
  dispensing site or more frequent visits if specified by board rule;
                     [(D)]  a requirement that each month the perpetual
  inventory of controlled substances at the remote dispensing site be
  reconciled to the on-hand count of those controlled substances at
  the site by a pharmacist employed by the provider pharmacy;
                     (D) [(E)]  a requirement that a pharmacist
  employed by a provider pharmacy be physically present at a remote
  dispensing site when the pharmacist is providing services requiring
  the physical presence of the pharmacist, including immunizations;
                     (E) [(F)]  a requirement that a remote dispensing
  site be staffed by an on-site pharmacy technician who is under the
  continuous supervision of a pharmacist employed by the provider
  pharmacy;
                     (F) [(G)]  a requirement that all pharmacy
  technicians at a remote dispensing site be counted for the purpose
  of establishing the pharmacist-pharmacy technician ratio of the
  provider pharmacy, which, notwithstanding Section 568.006, may not
  exceed three pharmacy technicians for each pharmacist providing
  supervision;
                     (G) [(H)]  a requirement that, before working at a
  remote dispensing site, a pharmacy technician must:
                           (i)  have worked at least one year at a
  retail pharmacy during the three years preceding the date the
  pharmacy technician begins working at the remote dispensing site;
  and
                           (ii)  have completed a board-approved
  training program on the proper use of a telepharmacy system;
                     (H) [(I)]  a requirement that pharmacy
  technicians at a remote dispensing site may not perform
  extemporaneous sterile or nonsterile compounding but may prepare
  commercially available medications for dispensing, including the
  reconstitution of orally administered powder antibiotics; and
                     (I) [(J)]  any additional training or practice
  experience requirements for pharmacy technicians at a remote
  dispensing site;
               (2) [(4)]  the areas that qualify under Subsection (f);
               (3) [(5)]  recordkeeping requirements; and
               (4) [(6)]  security requirements.
         SECTION 2.  The following provisions of the Occupations Code
  are repealed:
               (1)  Sections 562.110(g) and (h), as added by Chapter
  485 (H.B. 2561), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2017;
               (2)  Sections 562.110(g) and (h), as added by Chapter
  929 (S.B. 1633), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2017; and
               (3)  Sections 562.110(i) and (j).
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
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