2010 Legislative Wrap Up
Bills That Passed
These bills successfully passed the Legislature and have been delivered to the Governor for final approval and action. (Please note that bills take effect after 90 days unless otherwise noted in legislation.)
Authorizing Washington Pharmacists: to accept and fill prescriptions written by NPs in other states and certain Canadian providences. This bill was introduced by Representative Morrell and Senator Marr on behalf of ARNPs United of Washington State. The bill simply adds nurse practitioners that are licensed in other states, to the current list of prescribers from which pharmacists can accept prescriptions. The bill was necessary to eliminate a barrier to care and an access issue for Washingtonians who seek care outside of Washington and need to get their prescriptions filled at their local pharmacies.
The bill was supported by the WSNA, Washington State Pharmacy Association, WANA, AAPPN, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and National Federation of Independent Business. The bill passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate.
Medical Marijuana: Health care professionals are defined for purposes of this act as physicians, osteopathic physicians, physician assistant and osteopathic physician assistants, naturopaths, and advanced registered nurse practitioners. Health care professionals provide the valid documentation, which authorizes the medical use of marijuana for qualified patients who benefit from its use. Valid documentation for medical marijuana use must be a signed and dated statement by the health care professional on tamper resistant paper. Copies of a signed statement by a qualifying patient’s health care professional or medical records are still valid.
East Asian Medicine Practitioners: The state's professional designation of acupuncturist is changed to East Asian Medicine Practitioner. Those who are currently licensed as an acupuncturist are to be granted the title of East Asian Medicine Practitioner upon license renewal. The practice of acupuncture is changed to East Asian medicine. In addition to the techniques and methods used by practitioners under the current law, East Asian Medicine Practitioners can use lancets, give dietary advice, use breathing, relaxation and exercise techniques, QI Gong, health education, East Asian massage, Tui Na, hot and cold therapies, and make use of herbs, vitamins, minerals, and dietary and nutritional supplements.
East Asian Medicine Practitioners are allowed to continue to treat a patient who has refused a consultation with a primary health care provider if the patient signs a waiver which includes an explanation of the practitioner’s scope of practice, and a statement that the services that an East Asian Medicine Practitioner is authorized to provide will not resolve the patient's underlying potentially serious disorder.
Establishing the Vaccine Association: This bill establishes a nonprofit corporation to facilitate universal purchase of vaccines for children and assess health carriers and thirdparty administrators for the cost of vaccines for children under age 19. It also authorizes the Association board to recommend the termination of the Association after June 30, 2015.
Limiting the Use of Restraints on Pregnant Women or Youth: This bill prohibits restraints of any kind on any pregnant woman or youth in a correctional or detention facility while she is in labor, during childbirth, or in postpartum recovery; permits use of restraints only under extraordinary circumstances; requires the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, Department of Corrections, DSHS, Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, and Criminal Justice Training Commission to jointly develop an information packet for distribution on the requirements of this law; requires the information packet to be distributed to all medical and nonmedical staff involved in transporting pregnant women who are in the custody of a detention or correctional facility; requires notice of the requirements of this law to be provided to all women who are pregnant at the time of correctional custody; and requires conspicuous posting of these requirements in correctional facilities.
Pain Management: This is intended to decrease accidental overdoses from opioid prescriptions. Washington has the highest opioid death rates in the country. The NCQAC and other prescriber commissions are to consider during rule making: special circumstances when dosage amounts maybe exceeded without consultation from a pain specialist; when a single consultation with a pain specialist shall suffice for a patient on a stable, ongoing course of pain management treatment; when a health care provider seeks a pain specialist consultation, the patient cannot be charged; rules adopted by each practitioner board or commission must include information on sufficient training and experience to exempt a practitioner from the specialty consultation requirement; methods for enhancing the availability of consultations; allowing the efficient use of resources; and minimizing the burden on practitioners and patients; guidance on when to seek specialty consultation and ways in which electronic specialty consultations may be sought; guidance on tracking clinical progress by using assessment tools focusing on pain interference, physical function, and overall risk for poor outcome; and guidance on tracking the use of opioid.
Legislation That Did Not Pass
SHB 2706 Concerning Exemption From Immunization: This bill created new requirements for parents or guardians seeking an exemption from required school entry immunizations. They would have to provide a written certification from a health care practitioner (which include ARNPs) stating that the health care practitioner gave the person signing the certification form information about the benefits and risks of immunization. HB 2706 passed the House and the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee but died in the Senate.
HB 2989/SB Concerning respiratory care practitioners: The types of practitioners under whose order and direction a RCP may practice are expanded to health care practitioners instead of physicians. Health care practitioner is defined to include physicians, osteopathic physicians, physician assistants, osteopathic physician assistants, and ARNPs. 2SSB 5279 Providing for the Safe Collection and Disposal of Unwanted Drugs From Residential Sources: A product stewardship program is created beginning in January 2013. The program requires producers of legend, nonlegend, brand name, and generic drugs to participate in this program to dispose of unwanted products from residential sources regardless of who produces the unwanted product. The bill died on the Senate Floor.
SB 6811 Concerning Naturopathy: A sevenmember board of naturopathy is created. Members are appointed by the Governor and serve fouryear terms. Five members of the board must be licensed naturopaths, and two members must be from the public. The board is responsible for setting minimum education and experience requirements, preparing and administering examinations, and determining whether alternative methods of training are equivalent to formal education for eligibility to take the exam. The board serves as the disciplinary authority and is authorized to adopt rules to administer the chapter. Died in the Senate Health Care Committee.