House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for SB200 - Committee on Public Health and Welfare
Short Title
Expanding the pharmacist's scope of practice to include point-of-care testing for and treatment of certain health conditions.
Minutes Content for Thu, Feb 25, 2021
Chairperson Hilderbrand announced to the committee that there was a handout distributed from David Fye, Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, which provided information requested in the hearing on SB238 on February 24, 2021 (Attachment 1)
Chairperson Hilderbrand opened the hearing on SB200.
Jenna Moyer, Staff Revisor gave an overview of SB200.
Mitch DePriest testified in support of SB200 saying that it would allow Kansas pharmacists to address routine health conditions such as influenza, streptococcus, and urinary tract infections. (Attachment 2)
Tonya McClain, in her proponent testimony stated that allowing pharmacists to provide basic testing and treatment services could significantly increase access to affordable healthcare for people in Kansas. Pharmacists are trusted members of the teams that care for patients in Kansas and are well positioned to provide accessible and affordable health services. (Attachment 3)
Amanda Applegate spoke in support of SB200. She said SB200 serves to allow pharmacists to better meet the healthcare needs of their patients and their communities in limited situations when time to treatment is important. The patients who would benefit most from pharmacists testing and treating are patients without easy access to primary or urgent care providers. Statewide protocols for pharmacists should be defined narrowly to best address significant public health needs across Kansas, while maintaining high quality, patient centered care. (Attachment 4)
Written only proponent testimony was submitted by:
Alexandra Blasi, Kansas Board of Pharmacy (Attachment 5)
Aaron Dunkel, Kansas Pharmacists Association (Attachment 6)
Rob Tinsley, Currus Independent Pharmacies of Kansas (Attachment 7)
Elizabeth Patton, Americans for Prosperity (Attachment 8)
Questions were asked by committee members.
Rachelle Colombo testified in opposition to SB200 due to the fact that there is no requirement for physician involvement or collaboration with the Board of Healing Arts. She also stated that SB200 is unnecessarily broad and does not acknowledge or account for the practice of medicine being authorized under this bill. (Attachment 9)
Dr. Chad Johanning spoke as a proponent on behalf of Kansas Academy of Family Physicians (KAFP). He said KAFP opposes SB200 for three reasons that are critical to patient care and safety:
- The bill goes against the heart of an established medical home and further fractures health care service and delivery.
- SB200 contemplates pharmacists engaging the practice of medicine, as defined in K.S.A. 65-2869(b). That statute clearly delineates what constitutes the practice of medicine and, further, establishes that only physicians shall be licensed to engage in these practices.
- Finally, the bill does not provide a procedure for when simple self-limiting cases become more complex. (Attachment 10)
Kristie Clark, MD stated in her opponent testimony that SB200 allows for the practice of medicine by non-physician pharmacists and is outside the scope of the practice of pharmacy. Additionally, pharmacists in Kansas have oversight from the Kansas Board of Pharmacy, not the Kansas Board of Healing Arts. (Attachment 11)
Written only opponent testimony was submitted by:
Vicki Whitaker, Kansas Association of Osteopathic Medicine (Attachment 12)
Travis Oller, Kansas Chiropractic Association (Attachment 13)
Questions were posted by committee members.
Chairperson Hilderbrand closed the hearing on SB200 and adjourned the meeting at 9:25 a.m. The next scheduled meeting is February 26, 2021.
