Bill Text: CA AB1264 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Medical Practice Act: dangerous drugs: appropriate prior examination.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 741, Statutes of 2019. [AB1264 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1264-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  June 13, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 22, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 26, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1264

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Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-Norris
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Friedman)(Coauthors: Assembly Members Boerner Horvath and Friedman)
(Coauthor: Senator Wieckowski)

February 21, 2019

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An act to amend Section 2242.2 2242 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1264, as amended, Petrie-Norris. Healing arts licensees: self-administered hormonal contraceptives. Medical Practice Act: dangerous drugs: appropriate prior examination.

Existing law authorizes certain healing arts licensees to use a self-screening tool that will identify patient risk factors for the use of self-administered hormonal contraceptives by a patient, and, after appropriate prior examination, to prescribe, furnish, or dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives to a patient.

The Medical Practice Act provides for the licensing and regulation of the practice of medicine. The act makes it unprofessional conduct for a licensee to prescribe, dispense, or furnish dangerous drugs without an appropriate prior examination and a medical indication.

This bill would specify that “appropriate an appropriate prior examination” examination does not require a synchronous interaction between the patient and the healing arts license. licensee and can be achieved through the use of telehealth, as specified, provided that it complies with the appropriate standard of care.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Digest Key

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 2242 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2242.

 (a) Prescribing, dispensing, or furnishing dangerous drugs as defined in Section 4022 without an appropriate prior examination and a medical indication, constitutes unprofessional conduct. An appropriate prior examination does not require a synchronous interaction between the patient and the licensee and can be achieved through the use of telehealth, including, but not limited to, a self-screening tool or a questionnaire, provided that it complies with the appropriate standard of care.

(b) No licensee shall be found to have committed unprofessional conduct within the meaning of this section if, at the time the drugs were prescribed, dispensed, or furnished, any of the following applies:

(1) The licensee was a designated physician and surgeon or podiatrist serving in the absence of the patient’s physician and surgeon or podiatrist, as the case may be, and if the drugs were prescribed, dispensed, or furnished only as necessary to maintain the patient until the return of his or her the patient’s practitioner, but in any case no longer than 72 hours.

(2) The licensee transmitted the order for the drugs to a registered nurse or to a licensed vocational nurse in an inpatient facility, and if both of the following conditions exist:

(A) The practitioner had consulted with the registered nurse or licensed vocational nurse who had reviewed the patient’s records.

(B) The practitioner was designated as the practitioner to serve in the absence of the patient’s physician and surgeon or podiatrist, as the case may be.

(3) The licensee was a designated practitioner serving in the absence of the patient’s physician and surgeon or podiatrist, as the case may be, and was in possession of or had utilized the patient’s records and ordered the renewal of a medically indicated prescription for an amount not exceeding the original prescription in strength or amount or for more than one refill.

(4) The licensee was acting in accordance with Section 120582 of the Health and Safety Code.

SECTION 1.Section 2242.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2242.2.

(a)Notwithstanding any other law, a physician and surgeon, a registered nurse acting in accordance with Section 2725.2, a certified nurse-midwife acting within the scope of Section 2746.51, a nurse practitioner acting within the scope of Section 2836.1, a physician assistant acting within the scope of Section 3502.1, and a pharmacist acting within the scope of Section 4052.3 may use a self-screening tool that will identify patient risk factors for the use of self-administered hormonal contraceptives by a patient, and, after an appropriate prior examination, prescribe, furnish, or dispense, as applicable, self-administered hormonal contraceptives to the patient. Blood pressure, weight, height, and patient health history may be self-reported using the self-screening tool that identifies patient risk factors.

(b)An “appropriate prior examination” does not require a synchronous interaction between the patient and the healing arts licensee.

SEC. 2.

 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to ensure patients have access to necessary health care services at the earliest possible time, it is imperative that this bill take effect immediately.