|
UPDATE: 6/30/2022 - HB 145 signed by the Governor and will be effective 9/28/2022.
UPDATE: 6/17/2022 - HB 145 transmitted to the Governor. The bill is due to back from the Governor by 7/11/2022.
UPDATE: 5/16/2022 - HB 145 passed the Senate in a 19-0-0-1 vote, and is awaiting transmittal to the governor.
UPDATE: 5/16/2022 - HB 145 on Senate Floor Calendar for 5/16/2022.
UPDATE: 5/11/2022 - HB 145 referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
UPDATE: 5/11/2022 - HB 145 was held in a hearing at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, May 10th at 5:33 PM, and was moved out of the committee: http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Meeting/Detail?Meeting=SL%26C%202022-05-10%2017:33:00
UPDATE: 5/9/2022 - The hearing for HB 145 in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee was cancelled.
UPDATE: 5/6/2022 - HB 145 scheduled for hearing in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Monday, 5/9/2022 at 1:30 PM in the Beltz Room, Room 105 at the State Capitol. Agenda - http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Meeting/Detail/?Meeting=SL%26C%202022-05-09%2013:30:00&Bill=HB%20145
UPDATE: 4/27/2022 - HB 145 referred to Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.
UPDATE: 4/26/2022 - HB 145 passed the House in a 33-5-2 vote. The bill has been transmitted to the Senate.
UPDATE: 4/25/2022 - HB 145 passed the House Finance Committee.
UPDATE: 4/22/2022 - HB 145 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Finance Committee on Monday, April 25th at 1:30 PM in the Adams Committee Room, Room 519, at the Capitol. Agenda - http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Meeting/Detail/?Meeting=HFIN%202022-04-25%2013:30:00&Bill=HB%20145
UPDATE: 4/20/2022 - HB 145 read third time and transferred to the House Finance Committee.
UPDATE: 4/19/2022 - HB 145 on third reading on 4/20/2022 House Calendar.
UPDATE: 4/15/2022 - HB 145 could not be considered on 4/15 and will be on 4/19 calendar.
UPDATE: 4/15/2022 - HB 145 advanced to third reading 4/15 calendar.
HB 145 is on the 4/14/2022 House Calendar with a status of "third reading, next Calendar." This bill passed the House Labor and Commerce and House Health and Social Services committees in 2021, and is sponsored by Representative Snyder.
In its current form, a committee substitute passed by the Health and Social Services Committee, HB 145 allows pharmacists to not only administer vaccines, but to prescribe them as well. This codifies what is currently allowed under agency rule, 2 AAC 52.992. INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATON OF VACCINES AND RELATED EMERGENCY MEDICATIONS on Page 51 of the Administrative Code: https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/PharmacyStatutes.pdf
Essentially, pharmacists have already been authorized to prescribe vaccines under an administrative rule. This bill puts this authorization into Alaska state law. However, it contains no requirement for parental consent. This puts minor children at risk for being vaccinated without their parents' knowledge or consent. This bill should be amended to require parental consent for these vaccinations, along with penalties if parental consent is not acquired.
There are dangers to allowing an individual's healthcare providers to be left out of the vaccination process. Though pharmacy professionals are required to undergo some training to administer vaccines, they do not possess a thorough understanding of a patient's medical history, and are not fully trained in all the potential contraindications of vaccines.
In short, the danger lies in what they don't know. Pharmacists are not physicians, and there is a greater risk of an individual experiencing an adverse reaction to a vaccine when the prescriber lacks the more comprehensive training and knowledge of a healthcare provider who already has a relationship with the individual.
NVIC Advocacy does not take a position on the portions of the bill which are unrelated to vaccines.
http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/32?Root=HB%20145 - text, status, and history of HB 145.
|