CLEAR

Arkansas considers change to pharmacist scope of practice

A bill under consideration in Arkansas to allow pharmacists to dispense oral contraceptives to patients 18 or older without a doctor's prescription has passed in the House and moves on to the Senate. Pharmacists wanting such prescription authority would be required to complete a training program with the State Board of Pharmacy. If patients have not seen a primary care provider or gynecologist in the last six months, the pharmacist would have to refer them to a doctor and offer only a six-month supply of contraceptives.

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Iowa optometrist scope of practice

A bill passed in the Iowa House to expand scope of practice for optometrists to include additional infection privileges to treat two eye conditions and for draining eyelids. The bill now passes to the Senate, where similar bills have failed in the past.

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Florida dry needling scope of practice case

In a court case challenging the validity of a proposed administrative rule regarding scope of practice of physical therapists, the Court ruled that the rule is an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority. The proposed rule related to physical therapists performing dry needling, and the case concluded that the proposed rule would have constituted the practice of acupuncture by physical therapists, which is not within the physical therapy scope of practice.

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Research on pharmacist scope of practice

New research from the University of Waterloo studied non-urgent ER visits in Ontario and found that nearly one-third of such visits could have been managed by pharmacists with expanded scope of practice. The report notes that expanded scope for pharmacists in community practice or based in the Emergency Department could reduce crowdedness in EDs and allow for more ED resources to be devoted to care for more acute patients.

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Florida considers expanded scope of practice for psychologists

A bill under consideration in Florida would expand psychologist scope of practice to allow them to prescribe drugs, including controlled substances. Those wishing to be authorized to prescribe would have to pass an exam, complete coursework on prescribing, and have hands-on clinical training.

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Optometry Australia's vision for expanded scope of practice

Optometry Australia has released a report setting a 20-year vision for the profession. The report highlights seven trends for the future, including scope of practie expansion to include oral therapeutics, minor surgery, prescription of injectables and diabetic education. This scope of practice could be coupled with two tiers of practice - one that includes traditional care and one that encompasses broader ocular health practice. The report emphasized the value of working with the regulator and opthalmologists to determine how an expanded scope of practice could best serve patients and make maximum use of optometrists' skills and training.

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Alberta LPN policies on specializations and restricted activities updated

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta has released a Practice Policy: Specialized Practice Areas to clarify additional requirements and authorization that is needed to practice in five specialty areas: immunization, advanced foot care, perioperative, dialysis, and advanced orthopedic. Practice Policy: Authorized Restricted Activities clarifies basic restricted activities and specialized restricted activities, as well as supervision requirements.

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Alberta: expanded midwife scope of practice

The Health Minister in Alberta has announced that midwife scope of practice will be expanded. Upon completion of additional training, midwives will be able to prescribe, dispense and administer a broader range of vaccines, contraceptives and prescription drugs, including narcotics in a hospital setting.

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US government report urges expanded scope of practice and telehealth

A report issued by the US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, "Reforming America's Healthcare System Through Choice and Competition," calls for easing of scope of practice laws, particularly giving examples of advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, dental therapists and hygienists, and optometrists. The report calls for changes to scope of practice laws to allow healthcare providers to practice at the top of the license and skill set. A further recommendation is elimination of collaborative practice and supervision agreement requirements. The report also suggested easing the license process for foreign-trained physicians.

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Alberta: RNs get prescribing authority

Amendments to the Registered Nurses Profession Regulation will allow RNs to prescribe common medication and order some diagnostic tests such as x-rays. RNs will need to complete additional education and have appropriate supports in the work setting before being authorized to prescribe in their clinical practice area.

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