Legislature(2025 - 2026)DAVIS 106
05/01/2025 03:15 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB138 | |
| HB195 | |
| HB64 | |
| HB141 | |
| HB64 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 138 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 195 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 141 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 64 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 195-PHARMACIST PRESCRIPTION AUTHORITY
3:49:27 PM
CHAIR MINA announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 195, "An Act relating to the prescription and
administration of drugs and devices by pharmacists; relating to
reciprocity for pharmacists; and providing for an effective
date."
CHAIR MINA noted those available for questions.
3:50:18 PM
CHAIR MINA opened public testimony on HB 195.
3:50:42 PM
KARA GAGNON, Director of Pharmacy, North Star Behavioral Health,
described her experience working in the behavioral health system
in Anchorage, Alaska, emphasizing a lack of available providers
and resources. She testified in support of HB 195, emphasizing
that it would help meet the needs of Anchorage's community
members.
3:52:19 PM
AIMEE YOUNG, Pharm.D., Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public
Health Service, testified in support of HB 195. She said that
working for the Indian Health Service has allowed her to
practice at the top of her abilities. She described her
experience of providing vaccines and pain management treatments.
She said that her medication-related expertise has made her
skills highly valuable and emphasized that pharmacists are the
most accessible healthcare providers out there. She urged the
committee to support HB 195 to allow pharmacists to better serve
their communities.
3:53:57 PM
DAN HARTMAN, M.D., Medical Director, Southcentral Foundation,
testified in support of HB 195. He said that HB 195 would allow
pharmacists to practice at the scope and level of their
training. He described the training and education that
pharmacists are required to undergo. He emphasized the
important roles that pharmacists play in administering
healthcare at Southcentral Foundation. He said the HB 195 would
increase access to care for patients and expand the healthcare
workforce. He asked the committee to support HB 195.
3:56:26 PM
STEVEN PEARCE, Director, Citizens Commission on Human Rights,
expressed concern regarding the over-prescription of "mind-
altering drugs" to patients experiencing mental health issues.
He said that it is very easy to prescribe psychiatric drugs to
kids and that HB 195 would make it easier for pharmacists to
also administer these drugs. He said that psychiatric issues
should be treated in other ways that medication and should be
limited to psychiatrists and other mental health experts.
3:58:42 PM
MR. PEARCE, in response to a question from Representative Prax,
said that medical doctors defer too much to psychiatrists. He
said that he would not advocate for medical doctors to prescribe
psychiatric drugs when there are other treatments available for
behavioral health issues.
4:00:30 PM
PAM VENTGEN, Executive Director, Alaska State Medical
Association, testified in opposition to HB 195. She said that
HB 195 would allow pharmacists to practice medicine without a
medical license. She said that pharmacists already have
provisions for collaborative practice authority and HB 195 would
eliminate the need for collaboration. She emphasized that
pharmacists are currently over-worked in Alaska.
4:02:58 PM
BRITTANY KARNS, Pharm.D., Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center,
described her education and training in pharmacy. She said that
every profession has a scope of practice. She said that she is
asking for prescriptive authority within her scope of practice,
as a pharmacist. She said that pharmacists are often asked for
their advice on prescription dosages by medical doctors. She
emphasized that providers are being over-worked and pharmacists
could help fill the gaps in care that providers cannot.
4:05:27 PM
ERIC HOLLAND, Student, Doctor of Pharmacy Program, University of
Alaska Anchorage, testified in support of HB 195. He described
his training in Idaho, where pharmacists enjoy full prescriptive
authority. He said that HB 195 would modernize Alaska's laws,
allowing pharmacists to treat illnesses within their scope of
training and expertise. He emphasized that pharmacist students
in his program want to stay in Alaska, but they also want to
practice within their full scope of practice. He said that HB
195 would help keep pharmacists practicing in Alaska.
4:07:07 PM
PAUL ZANTO, Pharmacy Manager, Fred Meyer, testified in support
of HB 195. He described the services Fred Meyer stores provide
to the communities they operate in and stated that HB 195 would
help expand those services. He said Fred Meyer pharmacists
would welcome this ability to further care for their patients.
He described the extent of training that is required by
pharmacists, preparing them for more prescriptive authority. He
said that Fred Meyer strongly supports HB 195.
4:09:22 PM
MARY KLIX, M.D., Board Member, Alaska State Medical Association,
said that pharmacists do not attend medical school and are not
trained as physicians. She described the extent and intensity
required of physicians. She said that pharmacists do not have
diagnostic training and giving them prescriptive authority could
be dangerous. She said that pharmacists should engage in
collaborative practice agreements if they want to test and treat
patients.
4:11:45 PM
KAREN MILLER, Pharm.D., Foundation Health Partners, described
her experience working as a pharmacist in Fairbanks, Alaska.
She emphasized the long wait times for patients looking to
receive primary healthcare, forcing many into emergency
departments. She said that under HB 195, pharmacists would be
able to help prevent patients from seeking emergency room
services. She urged the committee to support HB 195.
4:13:37 PM
DR. KLIX, in response to questions from Representative Prax,
said that there are many medications that both oncologists and
family medicine doctors prescribe. She said that the knowledge
to prescribe anti-cancer treatments requires an additional two
to three years of training, but that training is not a licensed
requirement.
4:15:33 PM
CHAIR MINA, after ascertaining there was no one who wished to
testify, closed public testimony on HB 195.
4:16:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY thanked Chair Mina for sponsoring HB 195.
He expressed strong support for HB 195.
4:17:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX said that he does not believe HB 195 would
allow pharmacists to prescribe medication outside of their scope
of practice
4:18:59 PM
BRANDY SEIGNEMARTIN, Pharm.D., Executive Director, Alaska
Pharmacy Association, at the invitation of Chair Mina to express
concerns regarding scope of practice, stated that HB 195 would
require pharmacists to either collaborate with or refer to
another physician when faced with concerns outside of their
scope of practice. She added that pharmacists often receive
certifications to further their scope of practice in psychiatry,
oncology, and other specialties.
4:21:09 PM
BRITTANY KEENER, President, Alaska Pharmacy Association, said
that pharmacists receive trainings in diagnostics and medication
management, and they receive specific trainings based on the
specialty areas they may practice within.
4:22:28 PM
ASHLEY SCHABER, Pharm.D., Director, Alaska Board of Pharmacy, in
response to a question from Representative Schwanke, said Idaho
and Montana have similar provisions in place and neither has
experienced safety issues related to pharmacists having
prescriptive authorities.
4:23:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY provided an anecdote regarding a pharmacy
student that studied medicine alongside him. He emphasized that
pharmacists do have the training required for prescriptive
authority.
4:24:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS moved to report HB 195 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 195 was reported out of the
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB141 Sectional Analysis version A.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB141 Sponsor Statement version A.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB141-DOT-DFS-04-12-2025.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB 141 Combined Bill Packet 04.30.25.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB 141 Letters of Support 04.14.25.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB 141 Version A.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB141 Presentation.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB 195 Letters of Support 04.30.25.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 195 |
| HB 138 Letters of Support 04.30.25.pdf |
HHSS 5/1/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 138 |