HB 845

relating to the authority of pharmacists to furnish certain
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 483.001(11), Health and Safety Code, is
(11)  "Practice of pharmacy" has the meaning assigned
by Section 551.003, Occupations Code [means:
[(A)  provision of those acts or services
necessary to provide pharmaceutical care;
[(B)  interpretation and evaluation of
prescription drug orders or medication orders;
[(C)  participation in drug and device selection
as authorized by law, drug administration, drug regimen review, or
[(D)  provision of patient counseling;
[(i)  dispensing of prescription drug orders
or distribution of medication orders in the patient's best
[(ii)  compounding and labeling of drugs and
devices, except labeling by a manufacturer, repackager, or
distributor of nonprescription drugs and commercially packaged
prescription drugs and devices;
[(iii)  proper and safe storage of drugs and
[(iv)  maintenance of proper records for
drugs and devices.  In this subdivision, "device" has the meaning
assigned by Subtitle J, Title 3, Occupations Code; or
[(F)  performance of a specific act of drug
therapy management for a patient delegated to a pharmacist by a
written protocol from a physician licensed by the state under
Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code].
SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 157, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 157.102 to read as follows:
Sec. 157.102.  DELEGATION TO PHARMACIST TO FURNISH CERTAIN
(1)  "Acute condition" means a condition or disease
that begins abruptly, intensifies rapidly, and is generally not
(2)  "Pharmacist" has the meaning assigned by Section
(3)  "Waived clinical laboratory test" means a clinical
laboratory test that is classified as waived under federal
regulations issued under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments of 1988 (42 U.S.C. Section 263a).
(4)  "Written protocol" means a physician's written
order, standing medical order, standing delegation order, or other
order or protocol as defined by rule of the board.
(b)  Notwithstanding any other law, a pharmacist may furnish
to a patient, as provided by a physician's written protocol, a
prescription drug to treat an acute condition that is identified
through performance of one of the following tests, if the test is a
waived clinical laboratory test:
(1)  a rapid strep test or rapid antigen detection test
used in the identification of group A streptococcus (GAS); or
(2)  a rapid influenza diagnostic test used in the
identification of influenza types A and B.
(c)  The board shall adopt rules jointly with the Texas State
Board of Pharmacy to establish the minimum content of the written
protocol required under Subsection (b).  The written protocol may
permit a pharmacist to furnish a prescription drug to a patient
without an established physician-patient relationship.
(d)  A written protocol under this section must require
notice to the patient's primary care physician, as identified by
the patient if the patient has a primary care physician, and
prescribe the period for providing the notice and the form of the
notice, in accordance with prevailing practices for the provision
of notice to a patient's primary care physician.  The period for
providing the notice may not be later than the 14th day after the
date the drug is furnished by the pharmacist.
SECTION 3.  Section 551.003(33), Occupations Code, is
(33)  "Practice of pharmacy" means:
(A)  providing an act or service necessary to
(B)  interpreting or evaluating a prescription
drug order or medication order;
(C)  participating in drug or device selection as
authorized by law, and participating in drug administration, drug
regimen review, or drug or drug-related research;
(D)  providing patient counseling;
(i)  dispensing a prescription drug order or
distributing a medication order;
(ii)  compounding or labeling a drug or
device, other than labeling by a manufacturer, repackager, or
distributor of a nonprescription drug or commercially packaged
(iii)  properly and safely storing a drug or
(iv)  maintaining proper records for a drug
(F)  performing for a patient a specific act of
drug therapy management delegated to a pharmacist by a written
protocol from a physician licensed in this state in compliance with
(G)  administering an immunization or vaccination
under a physician's written protocol; or
(H)  furnishing a prescription drug to a patient
under a physician's written protocol under Section 157.102.
SECTION 4.  Subchapter B, Chapter 562, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 562.058 to read as follows:
Sec. 562.058.  TRAINING REQUIRED TO FURNISH CERTAIN DRUGS.
(a)  A pharmacist may not furnish a prescription drug under Section
157.102 unless the pharmacist has completed a training program that
is approved by the board and is relevant to the condition treated by
(b)  The board shall adopt rules jointly with the Texas
Medical Board to establish the minimum content of the training
program required under Subsection (a).
SECTION 5.  Not later than January 1, 2026, the Texas State
Board of Pharmacy and the Texas Medical Board shall adopt the rules
required under Sections 157.102 and 562.058, Occupations Code, as
SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.