Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. Definitions. As used in this Chapter, the
following terms shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this Section.
Board - the Louisiana Board of
Pharmacy.
Collaborative Drug Therapy Management or
Drug Therapy Management - that practice in which a pharmacist
voluntarily agrees with a physician to manage the disease specific drug therapy
of one or more patients of such physician, within a predetermined range of
medication selected by the physician and set forth in a patient specific
written order set. Drug therapy management shall be limited to:
a. monitoring and modifying a disease
specific drug therapy;
b.
collecting and reviewing patient history;
c. obtaining and reviewing vital signs,
including pulse, temperature, blood pressure, and respiration;
d. ordering, evaluating, and applying the
results of laboratory tests directly related to the disease specific drug
therapy being managed under an order set, provided such tests do not require
the pharmacist to interpret such testing or formulate a diagnosis;
and
e. providing disease or
condition specific patient education and counseling.
Controlled Substance - any substance
defined, enumerated, or included in federal or state statute or regulations, or
any substance which may hereafter be designated as a controlled substance by
amendment or supplementation of such statute or regulations.
Disease Specific Drug Therapy - a specific
drug or drugs prescribed by a physician for a specific patient of such
physician that is generally accepted within the standard of care for treatment
of the disease or condition.
Drug -
a. any substance recognized as a drug in the
official compendium, or supplement thereto, designated by the board for use in
the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of diseases in humans
or animals;
b. any substance
intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of
diseases in humans or other animals; or
c. any substance other than food intended to
affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other
animals.
Drugs of Concern - a drug that is not a
controlled substance but which is nevertheless defined and identified in
accordance with procedures established by the Louisiana Prescription Monitoring
Program Act,
R.S.
40:1001-1014, as a drug with the potential for
abuse.
Pharmacist - for purposes of this Section,
an individual who has a current unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in
this state duly licensed by the board, who is approved by the board to engage
in collaborative practice for a specific disease or condition based on the
pharmacist's training and experience.
Physician - an individual lawfully
entitled to engage in the practice of medicine in this state as evidenced by a
current, unrestricted license duly issued by the Louisiana State Board of
Medical Examiners.
Prescribe - a request or order transmitted
in writing, orally, electronically or by other means of telecommunication for a
drug that is issued in good faith, in the usual course of professional practice
and for a legitimate medical purpose, by a physician for the purpose of
correcting a physical, mental or bodily ailment of his patient.
Order Set - a written set of directives or
instructions containing each of the components specified elsewhere in this
Section for collaborative drug therapy management of disease specific drug
therapy for a specific patient. The order set shall be signed
by the physician and represents the physician orders for the collaborative drug
therapy management to be provided to the patient.
B. Registration
1. Eligibility
a. No pharmacist shall engage in
collaborative drug therapy management in this state until registered with the
board in accordance with this Section. To be eligible for registration, a
pharmacist shall, as of the date of the application:
i. possess a current, unrestricted license to
practice pharmacy issued by the board and not be the subject of a pending
investigation or complaint by the board or by the pharmacy licensing authority
of any other state or jurisdiction;
ii. be actively engaged in the practice of
pharmacy in this state and the provision of pharmacist care similar to the
activities anticipated in the collaborative drug therapy management
agreement.
b. A
pharmacist shall be deemed ineligible for registration of collaborative drug
therapy management who:
i. does not possess
the qualifications prescribed by
§523. B.1 a;
ii. has voluntarily surrendered or had
suspended, revoked, or restricted his controlled dangerous substances license,
permit, or registration (state or federal);
iii. has had a pharmacy license suspended,
revoked, placed on probation or restricted in any manner by the board or by the
pharmacy licensing authority of any other state or jurisdiction;
iv. has had an application for pharmacist
licensure rejected or denied; or
v.
has been, or is currently in the process of being denied, terminated,
suspended, refused, limited, placed on probation or under other disciplinary
action with respect to participation in any private, state, or federal health
insurance program.
c.
The board may, in its discretion, waive the limitations referenced in
Subparagraph B.1.b of this Section on a case-by-case basis.
d. The board may deny registration to an
otherwise eligible pharmacist for any of the causes enumerated in
R.S.
37:1241(A), or any other
violation of the provisions of the Pharmacy Practice Act or the board's
rules.
e. The burden of satisfying
the board as to the eligibility of a pharmacist for registration to engage in
collaborative drug therapy management shall be upon the pharmacist. A
pharmacist shall not be deemed to possess such qualifications unless and until
the pharmacist demonstrates and evidences such qualifications in the manner
prescribed by and to the satisfaction of the board.
2. Application and Issuance
a. Application for registration to engage in
collaborative drug therapy management shall be made upon forms supplied by the
board. Application forms and instructions may be obtained from the board's
website or by contacting the board's office.
b. An application for registration to engage
in collaborative drug therapy management shall include:
i. the pharmacist's full name, license
number, mailing address of record, and emergency contact information;
ii. the nature of the collaborative drug
therapy management activities contemplated, i.e., the disease or condition
proposed for management;
iii. a
description of the pharmacist's professional education that qualifies him to
engage in collaborative drug therapy management activities described in the
application;
iv. proof documented
in a form satisfactory to the board that the pharmacist possesses the
qualifications set forth in this Section; and
v. such other information and documentation
as the board may require to evidence qualification for registration.
c. The board may reject or refuse
to consider any application for registration which is not complete in every
detail required by the board. The board may, in its discretion, require a more
detailed or complete response to any request for information set forth in the
application as a condition to consideration.
d. A pharmacist seeking registration to
engage in collaborative drug therapy management shall be required to appear
before the board or its designee if the board has questions concerning the
nature or scope of the pharmacist's application, finds discrepancies in the
application, or for other good cause as determined by the board.
e. When all the qualifications, requirements,
and procedures of this Section are met to the satisfaction of the board, the
board shall approve and register a pharmacist to engage in collaborative drug
therapy management. Registration of authority to engage in collaborative drug
therapy management shall not be effective until the pharmacist receives
notification of approval from the board.
f. Although a pharmacist shall notify the
board each time he intends to engage in collaborative drug therapy management
with a physician other than the physician identified in the pharmacist's
original application, registration with the board is only required once. The
board shall maintain a list of pharmacists who are registered to engage in
collaborative drug therapy management.
g. Each pharmacist registered to engage in
collaborative drug therapy management shall be responsible for updating the
board within 10 days in the event of any change in the information recorded in
the original application.
3. Expiration of Registration; Renewal
a. A pharmacist's registration to engage in
collaborative drug therapy management with a physician shall terminate and
become void, null and without effect upon the earlier of:
i. death of either the pharmacist or
physician;
ii. loss of license of
the pharmacist;
iii. disciplinary
action limiting the ability of the pharmacist to enter into collaborative drug
therapy management;
iv.
notification to the board that the pharmacist has withdrawn from collaborative
drug therapy management;
v. a
finding by the board of any of the causes that would render a pharmacist
ineligible for registration; or
vi.
expiration of a pharmacist's license or registration to engage in collaborative
drug therapy management for failure to timely renew such license or
registration.
b.
Registration of authority to engage in collaborative drug therapy management
shall expire annually on the same day as a pharmacist's license unless renewed
by the pharmacist by completing the application form supplied by the board. An
application for registration renewal shall be made part of and/or accompany a
pharmacist's renewal application for pharmacist licensure.
c. The timely submission of an application
for renewal of registration shall operate to continue the expiring registration
in effect pending renewal of registration or other final action by the board on
such application for renewal.
C. Advisory Committee. The Collaborative Drug
Therapy Management Advisory Committee, constituted as provided for in LAC
46:XLV.7417, shall assist the Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of
Pharmacy on matters relative to collaborative drug therapy management. The
president of the Board of Pharmacy shall appoint a pharmacist to serve on the
committee, and said pharmacist shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of
Pharmacy.
D. Standards of Practice
1. Authority, Responsibility, and Limitations
of Collaborative Drug Therapy Management
a. A
pharmacist registered with the board under this Section may engage in
collaborative drug therapy management with a physician in accordance with a
patient specific, drug specific, disease specific order set satisfying the
requirements of this Section.
b. A
pharmacist engaged in collaborative drug therapy management shall:
i. retain professional responsibility to his
patient for the management of their drug therapy;
ii. establish and maintain a
pharmacist-patient relationship with each patient subject to collaborative drug
therapy management;
iii. be
geographically located to be physically present to provide pharmacist care to a
patient subject to collaborative drug therapy management;
iv. provide on a scheduled basis no less than
every three months, a status report on the patient, including but not limited
to, any problem, complication, or other issues relating to patient
non-compliance with drug therapy management. This requirement may be met by
entering the information in the patient's medical record.; and
v. be available through direct
telecommunication for consultation, assistance, and direction.
c. A pharmacist's registration to
engage in collaborative drug therapy management with a physician is personal to
the pharmacist. A pharmacist registered to engage in drug therapy management
shall not allow another pharmacist not so registered or any other individual to
exercise the authority conferred by such registration.
d. Collaborative drug therapy management
shall only be utilized for disease specific drug therapy as defined in this
Section.
e. The scope of the
collaborative drug therapy management shall not include:
i. any patient of the physician for whom such
physician has not prepared a patient specific, drug specific, disease or
condition specific order set based on a face-to-face visit with the
patient;
ii. initiation or
discontinuance of drug therapy by a pharmacist, except as specified in the
order set;
iii. the management of
controlled substances or drugs of concern; or
iv. substitution of a drug prescribed by a
physician without the explicit written consent of such physician.
2. Informed Consent
a. A pharmacist shall not engage in
collaborative drug therapy management of a patient without the patient's
written informed consent.
b. In
addition to the requirements provided by law for obtaining a patient's informed
consent, each patient who is subject to collaborative drug therapy management
shall be:
i. informed of the collaborative
nature of drug therapy management for the patient's specific medical disease or
condition and provided instructions and contact information for follow-up
visits with the pharmacist and physician;
ii. informed he may decline to participate in
a collaborative drug therapy management practice and may withdraw at any time
without terminating the physician-patient or pharmacist-patient relationship;
and
iii. provided written
disclosure of any contractual or financial arrangement with any other party
that may impact one of the party's decision to participate in the
agreement.
c. All
services provided shall be performed in a setting which insures patient privacy
and confidentiality.
3.
Order Sets
a. A separate order set shall be
written for each patient to be managed by collaborative drug therapy
management. A copy of each order set shall be:
i. provided to the collaborating physician
and pharmacist; and
ii. made part
of the patient's pharmacy record.
b. A physician shall develop a patient
specific order set for a particular patient or utilize a standard written
protocol order set, incorporating what patient specific deviations, if any, the
physician may deem necessary or appropriate for such patient. In either event,
an order set for disease specific drug therapy shall adhere to generally
accepted standards of care and shall identify, at a minimum:
i. the pharmacist, the physician, and
telephone number and other contact information for each;
ii. the patient's name, address, gender, date
of birth, and telephone number;
iii. the disease or condition to be
managed;
iv. the disease specific
drug or drugs to be utilized;
v.
the type and extent of drug therapy management the physician authorizes the
pharmacist to perform;
vi. the
specific responsibilities of the pharmacist and physician;
vii. the procedures, criteria, or plan the
pharmacist is required to follow in connection with drug therapy
management;
viii. the specific
laboratory test or tests, if any, directly related to drug therapy management
the physician authorizes the pharmacist to order and evaluate;
ix. the reporting and documentation
requirements of the pharmacist and physician respecting the patient and
schedule by which such are to take place;
x. the conditions and events upon which the
pharmacist and physician are required to notify one another; and
xi. procedures to accommodate immediate
consultation by telephone or direct telecommunication with, between, or among
the pharmacist, physician, and the patient.
c. Each order set utilized for collaborative
drug therapy management of a patient shall be reviewed annually by the
collaborating physician, or more frequently as such physician deems necessary,
to address patient needs and to insure compliance with the requirements of this
Section. The physician's signature and date of review shall be noted on the
order set and maintained by the pharmacist in accordance with this
Section.
4. Reporting
Obligations and Responsibilities
a. A
pharmacist engaged in collaborative drug therapy management shall report
annually, as a condition to the renewal of his registration, whether or not and
the extent to which the pharmacist is engaged in collaborative drug therapy
management and such other information as the board may request.
b. A pharmacist engaged in collaborative drug
therapy management shall comply with reasonable requests by the board for
personal appearances or information relative to the functions, activities, and
performance of a pharmacist or physician engaged in collaborative drug therapy
management.
5. Records
a. The following information shall be
included in the pharmacy's record of a patient subject to collaborative drug
therapy management:
i. the prescription or
order implementing collaborative drug therapy management;
ii. the order set applicable to the patient
evidencing documentation of the physician's annual review;
iii. documentation of all activities
performed by the pharmacist;
iv.
consultations and status reports by and between the pharmacist and physician;
and
v. documentation of the
patient's informed consent to collaborative drug therapy management.
b. A pharmacist registered to
engage in collaborative drug therapy management shall maintain and produce,
upon inspection conducted by or at the request of a representative of the
board, a copy of any order sets and such other records or documentation as may
be requested by the board to assess a pharmacist's compliance with requirements
of this Section, the Pharmacy Practice Act, or other applicable board
rules.
E.
Sanctions
1. Action against Registration. For
noncompliance with any of the provisions of this Section, the board may, in
addition to or in lieu of administrative proceedings against a pharmacist's
license, suspend or revoke a pharmacist's registration to engage in
collaborative drug therapy management, or may impose such terms, conditions, or
restrictions thereon as the board may deem necessary or appropriate.
2. Action against Pharmacist License. Any
violation or failure to comply with the provisions of this Section shall be
deemed a violation of
R.S.
37:1241(A)1, as well as a
violation of any other applicable provisions of
R.S.
37:1241(A), providing cause
for the board to take any of the actions permitted in
R.S.
37:1241(A) against the
pharmacist's license.
3.
Unauthorized Practice. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as
authorizing a pharmacist to issue prescriptions, exercise independent medical
judgment, render diagnoses, provide treatment, assume independent
responsibility for patient care, or otherwise engage in the practice of
medicine as defined in the Louisiana Medical Practice Act. Any person who
engages in such activities, in the absence of medical licensure issued by the
Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, shall be engaged in the
unauthorized practice of medicine and subject to the penalties prescribed by
the Louisiana Medical Practice Act.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
37:1164(37)(b)(i).