Community care/Rx assistance

AN ACT Relating to expanding the types of medication assistance 1
that may be provided to residents of community-based care settings; 2
and amending RCW 69.41.010. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 69.41.010 and 2024 c 102 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meanings 7
indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise:8
(1) "Administer" means the direct application of a legend drug 9
whether by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or any other means, to 10
the body of a patient or research subject by: 11
(a) A practitioner; or 12
(b) The patient or research subject at the direction of the 13
practitioner. 14
(2) "Commission" means the pharmacy quality assurance commission.15
(3) "Community-based care settings" include: Community 16
residential programs for persons with developmental disabilities, 17
certified by the department of social and health services under 18
chapter 71A.12 RCW; adult family homes licensed under chapter 70.128 19
RCW; and assisted living facilities licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW. 20
H-0933.1
HOUSE BILL 1720
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Schmick and Low
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Health Care &
Wellness.
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Community-based care settings do not include acute care or skilled 1
nursing facilities. 2
(4) "Deliver" or "delivery" means the actual, constructive, or 3
attempted transfer from one person to another of a legend drug, 4
whether or not there is an agency relationship. 5
(5) "Department" means the department of health.6
(6) "Dispense" means the interpretation of a prescription or 7
order for a legend drug and, pursuant to that prescription or order, 8
the proper selection, measuring, compounding, labeling, or packaging 9
necessary to prepare that prescription or order for delivery.10
(7) "Dispenser" means a practitioner who dispenses.11
(8) "Distribute" means to deliver other than by administering or 12
dispensing a legend drug. 13
(9) "Distributor" means a person who distributes.14
(10) "Drug" means: 15
(a) Substances recognized as drugs in the official United States 16
pharmacopoeia, official homeopathic pharmacopoeia of the United 17
States, or official national formulary, or any supplement to any of 18
them; 19
(b) Substances intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, 20
mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in human beings or 21
animals; 22
(c) Substances (other than food, minerals or vitamins) intended 23
to affect the structure or any function of the body of human beings 24
or animals; and 25
(d) Substances intended for use as a component of any article 26
specified in (a), (b), or (c) of this subsection. It does not include 27
devices or their components, parts, or accessories.28
(11) "Electronic communication of prescription information" means 29
the transmission of a prescription or refill authorization for a drug 30
of a practitioner using computer systems. The term does not include a 31
prescription or refill authorization transmitted verbally by 32
telephone nor a facsimile manually signed by the practitioner.33
(12) "In-home care settings" include an individual's place of 34
temporary and permanent residence, but does not include acute care or 35
skilled nursing facilities, and does not include community-based care 36
settings. 37
(13) "Legend drugs" means any drugs which are required by state 38
law or regulation of the pharmacy quality assurance commission to be 39
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dispensed on prescription only or are restricted to use by 1
practitioners only. 2
(14) "Legible prescription" means a prescription or medication 3
order issued by a practitioner that is capable of being read and 4
understood by the pharmacist filling the prescription or the nurse or 5
other practitioner implementing the medication order. A prescription 6
must be hand printed, typewritten, or electronically generated.7
(15) "Medication assistance" means assistance rendered by a 8
nonpractitioner to an individual residing in a community-based care 9
setting or in-home care setting to facilitate the individual's self-10
administration of a legend drug or drugs, which may include a 11
controlled substance or controlled substances . It includes reminding 12
or coaching the individual, handing the medication container to the 13
individual, opening the individual's medication container, using an 14
enabler, or placing the medication in the individual's hand, and such 15
other means of medication assistance as defined by rule adopted by 16
the department. A nonpractitioner may help in the preparation of 17
legend drugs ((or)), including controlled substances , for self-18
administration where a practitioner has determined and communicated 19
orally or by written direction that such medication preparation 20
assistance is necessary and appropriate. Medication assistance shall 21
not include assistance with intravenous medications or injectable 22
medications, except ((prefilled insulin syringes )) setting up 23
diabetic devices for self-administration or handing injectable 24
medications to an individual for self-administration.25
(16) "Person" means individual, corporation, government or 26
governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, 27
partnership or association, or any other legal entity.28
(17) "Practitioner" means: 29
(a) A physician under chapter 18.71 RCW, an osteopathic physician 30
or an osteopathic physician and surgeon under chapter 18.57 RCW, a 31
dentist under chapter 18.32 RCW, a podiatric physician and surgeon 32
under chapter 18.22 RCW, an acupuncturist or acupuncture and Eastern 33
medicine practitioner to the extent authorized under chapter 18.06 34
RCW and the rules adopted under RCW 18.06.010(1)(m), a veterinarian 35
under chapter 18.92 RCW, a registered nurse, advanced practice 36
registered nurse ((practitioner)), or licensed practical nurse under 37
chapter 18.79 RCW, an optometrist under chapter 18.53 RCW who is 38
certified by the optometry board under RCW 18.53.010, a physician 39
assistant under chapter 18.71A RCW, a naturopath licensed under 40
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chapter 18.36A RCW, a licensed athletic trainer to the extent 1
authorized under chapter 18.250 RCW, a pharmacist under chapter 18.64 2
RCW, when acting under the required supervision of a dentist licensed 3
under chapter 18.32 RCW, a dental hygienist licensed under chapter 4
18.29 RCW, a licensed dental therapist to the extent authorized under 5
chapter 18.265 RCW, or a licensed midwife to the extent authorized 6
under chapter 18.50 RCW; 7
(b) A pharmacy, hospital, or other institution licensed, 8
registered, or otherwise permitted to distribute, dispense, conduct 9
research with respect to, or to administer a legend drug in the 10
course of professional practice or research in this state; and11
(c) A physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery or a 12
physician licensed to practice osteopathic medicine and surgery in 13
any state, or province of Canada, which shares a common border with 14
the state of Washington. 15
(18) "Secretary" means the secretary of health or the secretary's 16
designee. 17
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