CLEAR

Arizona pilot project for licensed legal advocates

A two-year pilot project in Arizona will create the credential licensed legal advocate. Nonlawyers with the license will be able to provide legal advice related to protective orders, divorce, child custody, consumer protection and housing. A similar pilot project creates the legal document preparer program to allow nonlawyers to prepare legal documents for people who experienced domestic violence.

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Idaho considers optometrist scope of practice

The Optometric Physician Licensing Act being considered in Idaho would expand optometrist scope of practice to perform three in-office laser procedures that currently can only be performed by ophthalmologists. The Bureau of Occupational Licenses has concluded that optometrists do meet minimum training standards to perform the procedures. The bill would require optometrists to perform at least five supervised procedures before being eligible for the expanded scope of practice.

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New Jersey legislature strikes down APRN scope of practice bill

The "Consumer Access to Health Care Act" has been voted down in the New Jersey legislature. The bill would have allowed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses with proper training to prescribe medication without a physician.

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Trends in pharmacy regulation

• New laws in most states now allow pharmacists to dispense emergency opioid overdose reversal treatment, and pharmacists in some states have direct authority to prescribe and sell naloxone to consumers. 
• Under parts of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act coming into effect in 2020, pharmacists will be responsible for checking product tracing documentation.
• As of April 2019, 13 states and D.C. allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraceptives after receiving proper training.

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Update on Veterinary Nurse Initiative

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America has undertaken an initiative to standardize credentialing requirements, scope of practice, and use of the title Registered Veterinary Nurse. Some recent bills are moving the initiative forward. A bill to approve the title change has passed in the Ohio House and is under consideration in the Senate. Title change bills have been considered in Indiana and Georgia, and Oklahoma will soon be conducting  review of its veterinary practice act.

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Arizona considers bill to disclose non-provided medical services

A bill proposed in Arizona would require healthcare providers to disclose which medical services or products they will not provide due to religious beliefs. A current state law allows practitioners to decline to provide services that violate their "sincerely held religious beliefs." The proposed bill would require practitioners to provide a list of all legal drugs and services within their scope that they will not provide.

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Standards of practice released for physician advisors

The Association of Physician Leadership in Care Management has created standards of practice and a scope of services for the physician advisor role. The standards are designed "as a framework demonstrating the competencies and skill set that can be expected of physicians in leadership roles in care management" and address "professionalism, leadership, advocacy, accountability, communications, collaboration, regulatory knowledge, continuum of care perspective and data literacy."

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Illinois proposes changes to pharmacist regulation

A task force in Illinois recently looked at why dangerous drug interactions were not being caught by pharmacists. The task force found pharmacists overwhelmed by "an assembly-line process at busy pharmacies where hundreds of prescriptions are filled in a single shift." The task force's recommendations focused on easing stress by creating a requirement for one uninterrupted 30-minute meal break and one 15-minute break for a 6-hour shift and an additional 15-minute break for a 12-hour shift. The task force also looked at additional employer requirements on pharmacists, such as soliciting new business and meeting production quotas. The task force recommends that pharmacies be disciplined for not allowing sufficient time for tasks such as reviewing patient's history and answering customer questions. They also recommend expanding the scope of practice for pharmacy technicians.

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Alberta: LPN expanded scope of practice

Amendments to Alberta's licensed practical nurse professional regulation will expand LPN scope of practice effective February 1, 2020. The expanded scope will include administering blood, dispensing certain drugs, providing ultrasound for bedside nursing assessments, and administering medication by invasive procedure.

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Update: Michigan bill on licensed professional counselors passes House

A bill has passed in the Michigan House to codify existing rules for practice as a licensed professional counselor, allowing LPCs to continue diagnosing and treating clients in a clinical setting. The legislation now heads to the Senate. If not passed, the Department of Licensing and Regulator Affairs could move forward with a rule change to clarify the scope of practice and remove diagnosis and psychotherapy techniques.

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