SSHB 139: "An Act authorizing certain psychologists to prescribe and dispense certain psychotropic medications and their adjuncts within the practice of psychology."
00SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 139 01 "An Act authorizing certain psychologists to prescribe and dispense certain 02 psychotropic medications and their adjuncts within the practice of psychology." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 08.80.157(j) is amended to read: 05 (j) This section does not apply to the offices of physicians, osteopaths, 06 podiatrists, physician assistants, advanced nurse practitioners, dentists, veterinarians, 07 dispensing opticians, psychologists, or optometrists. 08 * Sec. 2. AS 08.80.400 is amended to read: 09 Sec. 08.80.400. Other licensees not affected. This chapter does not affect the 10 practice of medicine by a licensed medical doctor and does not limit a licensed 11 medical doctor, osteopath, podiatrist, physician assistant, advanced nurse practitioner, 12 dentist, veterinarian, dispensing optician, psychologist, or optometrist in supplying a 13 patient with any medicinal preparation or article within the scope of the person's 14 license.
01 * Sec. 3. AS 08.86 is amended by adding a new section to read: 02 Sec. 08.86.132. License endorsement. (a) The board may issue a license 03 endorsement authorizing a psychologist to prescribe and dispense psychotropic 04 medications and their adjuncts within the scope of the practice of psychology if the 05 applicant for the endorsement has 06 (1) within the five-year period immediately preceding application for 07 the endorsement, 08 (A) completed a program of didactic instruction acceptable to 09 the board that consisted of at least 300 contact hours and included the 10 following core areas of instruction: neuroscience, pharmacology, 11 psychopharmacology, physiology, pathophysiology, appropriate and relevant 12 physical and laboratory assessment, and clinical pharmacotherapeutics; and 13 (B) obtained relevant supervised clinical experience with at least 14 100 patients under the direction of a qualified practitioner as determined by the 15 board; and 16 (2) passed an examination approved by the board that tested the 17 applicant's knowledge in the areas described in (1)(A) of this subsection. 18 (b) An endorsement under this section expires or is revoked or suspended at 19 the same time as the license to which it attaches. The endorsement may be renewed 20 upon satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements established by the 21 board by regulation. 22 (c) The board shall annually transmit to the Board of Pharmacy a list of 23 psychologists who have endorsements under this section and shall notify the Board of 24 Pharmacy in a timely manner upon termination, suspension, or reinstatement of an 25 endorsement. 26 (d) A pharmacist or pharmaceutical supplier may supply a psychologist with 27 psychotropic medications and their adjuncts upon presentation of evidence that the 28 psychologist holds an endorsement under this section. 29 (e) In this section, "psychotropic medications and their adjuncts" are those 30 substances defined in AS 11.71.900 that are reasonably necessary 31 (1) for the prevention, treatment, or amelioration of psychological
01 problems and emotional and mental disorders of individuals; or 02 (2) to assist in preventing or relieving the side effects of substances 03 described in (1) of this subsection. 04 * Sec. 4. AS 08.86.180(c) is amended to read: 05 (c) Nothing in this chapter authorizes a person licensed as a psychologist to 06 engage in the practice of medicine, as defined by the laws of the state , but a 07 psychologist with an endorsement under AS 08.86.132 may prescribe and dispense 08 psychotropic medications and their adjuncts within the scope of the practice of 09 psychology .