Del. Sam Rasoul Carries Two Health Care Bills To Passage in House of Delegates
ROANOKE - Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-11) announced today that two bills he introduced in this year's legislative session, HB 2079 and HB 2039, have successfully passed in the House of Delegates and will be considered in the Senate of Virginia.
HB 2079 would make permanent Virginia pharmacists' temporary authority to administer vaccines to adults so long as the vaccines are included on the Immunization Schedule by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Many thousands of Virginians lack access to reliable health care in the form of a primary care provider. It is in the interest of their health and the public's health to ensure their local pharmacist can administer any and all vaccines on the CDC's Schedule," said Rasoul. "By codifying pharmacists' vaccination authority in the state law now, we can ensure better health outcomes in the future."
Administering vaccines is among the eight things added to pharmacist's scope in this bill. HB 2079 would give pharmacists the ability to test and write prescriptions for the flu, strep, UTIs, provide Tuberculosis testing, HIV prophylaxis for both pre- and post- exposure, write prescriptions for devices, controlled paraphernalia (e.g. insulin pens) and Durable Medical Equipment to lower out of cost pocket expenses, and prescribe tobacco cessation drug therapies.
The House of Delegates also passed HB 2039, which would eliminate some of the requirements for practice for physician assistants and student physician assistants.