54.1-3300.1 - Participation in collaborative agreements; regulations to be promulgated by the Boards of Medicine and Pharmacy. - Virginia Statutes

§ 54.1-3300.1. Participation in collaborative agreements; regulations to bepromulgated by the Boards of Medicine and Pharmacy.

A pharmacist and his designated alternate pharmacists involved directly inpatient care may participate with a practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, orpodiatry and his designated alternate practitioners involved directly inpatient care in collaborative agreements which authorize cooperativeprocedures related to treatment using drug therapy, laboratory tests ormedical devices, under defined conditions and/or limitations, for the purposeof improving patient outcomes. No patient shall be required to participate ina collaborative procedure without such patient's consent.

Collaborative agreements may include the modification, continuation ordiscontinuation of drug therapy pursuant to written, patient-specificprotocols; the ordering of laboratory tests; or other patient care managementmeasures related to monitoring or improving the outcomes of drug or devicetherapy. No such collaborative agreement shall exceed the scope of practiceof the respective parties. Any pharmacist who deviates from or practices in amanner inconsistent with the terms of a collaborative agreement shall be inviolation of § 54.1-2902; such violation shall constitute grounds fordisciplinary action pursuant to §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3316.

Collaborative agreements may only be used for conditions which have protocolsthat are clinically accepted as the standard of care, or are approved by theBoards of Medicine and Pharmacy. The Boards of Medicine and Pharmacy shalljointly develop and promulgate regulations to implement the provisions ofthis section and to facilitate the development and implementation of safe andeffective collaborative agreements between the appropriate practitioners andpharmacists. The regulations shall include guidelines concerning the use ofprotocols, and a procedure to allow for the approval or disapproval ofspecific protocols by the Boards of Medicine and Pharmacy if review isrequested by a practitioner or pharmacist.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede the provisions of §54.1-3303.

(1999, cc. 895, 1011.)