HF2205 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the prescribing, ordering, dispensing, and administering authority of pharmacists and practitioners.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: GOLDING
Last action: 2026-01-29
Official status: Introduced, referred to Health and Human Services. H.J. 174 .
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact enforcement mechanisms and monitoring processes for compliance are not detailed in the official source material.

A Bill for an Act Relating to the Prescribing, Ordering, Dispensing, and Administering Authority of Pharmacists and Practitioners

This bill prohibits health-related professional boards and employers from restricting pharmacists' and practitioners' authority to prescribe, order, dispense, or administer medications based on their best professional judgment within the legal scope of practice.

What This Bill Does

It prevents health-related professional boards that license pharmacists and practitioners from imposing restrictions that act as a deterrent for these professionals to use medications according to their best professional judgment.
It makes employer restrictions unenforceable if they prevent pharmacists or practitioners from using medications in line with their professional judgment within the legal scope of practice.
It ensures that pharmacists and practitioners cannot face disciplinary actions by employers when they use medications based on their professional judgment within their legal scope of practice.

Who It Names or Affects

Pharmacists and practitioners licensed to prescribe, order, dispense, or administer medication in Iowa.
Employers who hire pharmacists and practitioners.
Health-related professional boards that license these professionals.

Terms To Know

pharmacist: A person licensed by the board of pharmacy to practice pharmacy.
practitioner: Includes physicians, dentists, podiatric physicians, prescribing psychologists, veterinarians, optometrists, physician assistants, advanced registered nurse practitioners, and others who can legally prescribe drugs in Iowa or another state.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the consequences for boards or employers that violate these restrictions.
It is unclear how this legislation will be enforced or monitored to ensure compliance by all relevant parties.

Bill History

2026-01-29 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, referred to Health and Human Services. H.J. 174 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the prescribing, ordering, dispensing, and administering authority of pharmacists and practitioners.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

House

File

2205

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2205

BY

GOLDING

(COMPANION

TO

SF

313

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

HEALTH

AND

HUMAN

SERVICES)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

prescribing,

ordering,

dispensing,

and

1

administering

authority

of

pharmacists

and

practitioners.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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H.F.

2205

Section

1.

NEW

SECTION

.

155A.49

Restrictions

on

1

prescribing,

ordering,

dispensing,

and

administering

authority

by

2

board

or

employer.

3

1.

The

board

or

any

board

created

under

chapter

147

that

4

licenses

a

pharmacist

or

a

practitioner

and

any

employer

of

a

5

pharmacist

or

practitioner

shall

not

restrict

the

prescribing,

6

ordering,

dispensing,

or

administering

authority

of

a

7

pharmacist

or

practitioner,

consistent

with

the

pharmacist’s

8

or

practitioner’s

scope

of

practice

as

restricted

by

law,

in

a

9

way

that

acts

as

a

deterrent

for

a

pharmacist

or

practitioner

10

to

use

a

medication

or

treatment

in

accordance

with

the

11

pharmacist’s

or

practitioner’s

best

professional

judgment.

12

2.

Any

restriction

by

an

employer

of

a

pharmacist

or

13

practitioner

that

is

prohibited

under

subsection

1,

whether

14

or

not

documented

by

the

employer

as

part

of

a

contract,

15

agreement,

or

employee

handbook,

by

an

amendment

to

any

such

16

document,

or

by

any

other

means,

is

unenforceable

and

shall

not

17

be

the

basis

for

any

disciplinary

action

by

the

employer.

18

3.

A

pharmacist

or

practitioner

who

uses

a

medication

or

19

treatment

in

accordance

with

the

pharmacist’s

or

practitioner’s

20

best

professional

judgment

and

consistent

with

the

pharmacist’s

21

or

practitioner’s

scope

of

practice,

as

restricted

by

law,

22

under

this

section

shall

not

be

subject

to

licensee

discipline.

23

EXPLANATION

24

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

25

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

26

This

bill

relates

to

the

prescribing,

ordering,

dispensing,

27

and

administering

authority

of

practitioners

and

pharmacists.

28

The

bill

prohibits

the

board

of

pharmacy

and

any

29

health-related

professional

board

under

Code

chapter

147

30

(general

provisions,

health-related

professions)

(boards)

that

31

license

a

pharmacist

or

practitioner

and

any

employer

of

a

32

pharmacist

or

practitioner

from

restricting

the

prescribing,

33

ordering,

dispensing,

or

administering

authority

of

a

34

pharmacist

or

practitioner,

consistent

with

the

pharmacist’s

35

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2

H.F.

2205

or

practitioner’s

scope

of

practice

as

restricted

by

law,

in

a

1

way

that

acts

as

a

deterrent

for

the

pharmacist

or

practitioner

2

to

use

a

medication

or

treatment

in

accordance

with

the

3

pharmacist’s

or

practitioner’s

best

professional

judgment.

4

The

bill

also

provides

that

any

restriction

by

an

employer

5

of

a

pharmacist

or

practitioner

that

is

prohibited

under

the

6

bill,

whether

or

not

documented

by

the

employer

as

part

of

7

a

contract,

agreement,

or

employee

handbook,

by

an

amendment

8

to

any

such

document,

or

by

any

other

means,

is

unenforceable

9

and

shall

not

be

the

basis

for

any

disciplinary

action

by

10

the

employer.

The

bill

also

provides

that

a

pharmacist

or

11

practitioner

who

uses

a

medication

or

treatment

in

accordance

12

with

the

pharmacist’s

or

practitioner’s

best

professional

13

judgment

and

consistent

with

the

pharmacist’s

or

practitioner’s

14

scope

of

practice,

as

restricted

by

law,

under

the

bill,

shall

15

not

be

subject

to

licensee

discipline.

16

Code

section

155A.3

defines

“pharmacist”

as

a

person

17

licensed

by

the

board

of

pharmacy

to

practice

pharmacy;

and

18

“practitioner”

as

a

physician,

dentist,

podiatric

physician,

19

prescribing

psychologist,

veterinarian,

optometrist,

physician

20

assistant,

advanced

registered

nurse

practitioner,

or

other

21

person

licensed

or

registered

to

prescribe,

distribute,

22

or

dispense

a

prescription

drug

or

device

in

the

course

of

23

professional

practice

in

this

state

or

a

person

licensed

by

24

another

state

in

a

health

field

in

which,

under

Iowa

law,

25

licensees

in

this

state

may

legally

prescribe

drugs.

26

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