04/22/2025 03:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

            SB 147-PHARMACIST PRESCRIPTION AUTHORITY                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:47:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   DUNBAR  reconvened   the   meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.  147 "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."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:47:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL  speaking as sponsor  of SB 147  provided opening                                                               
comments  saying the  bill establishes  a  limited framework  for                                                               
pharmacist-provided  patient  care  services and  is  a  targeted                                                               
reform  focused on  improving access  to  care. SB  147 does  not                                                               
expand pharmacists'  scope of practice  beyond services  they are                                                               
already  educated and  trained  to provide,  nor  does it  permit                                                               
pharmacists  to  prescribe abortion-inducing  medications,  which                                                               
remains expressly  prohibited under current Alaska  law. She said                                                               
SB 147  allows pharmacists  to more  fully serve  patients within                                                               
clearly   defined  standards   of  competence   and  professional                                                               
accountability. She said the bill  is intended to increase access                                                               
to  basic care,  reduce  delays, ease  pressure  on primary  care                                                               
providers, lower  health care costs,  and improve  overall health                                                               
outcomes.  These  benefits  are supported  by  existing  research                                                               
previously reviewed by the committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:49:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR opened public testimony on SB 147.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:50:10 PM                                                                                                                    
ERIC HOLLAND, representing self,  Anchorage, Alaska, testified in                                                               
support of SB  147. He stated that with Alaska  not having an in-                                                               
state  pharmacy program,  students  are trained  through a  joint                                                               
degree program  with Idaho State  University. The  university has                                                               
one  of  the  most  expansive   pharmacy  practice  statutes  and                                                               
regulations. He  said students are educated  to diagnose, assess,                                                               
treat, and  manage a range  of conditions and expect  to practice                                                               
at   that  level   after  graduation.   However,  Alaska's   more                                                               
restrictive  regulations  limit this  practice.  He  said he  has                                                               
worked in  settings that would  be affected by SB  147, including                                                               
community  pharmacy   point-of-care  testing  and   chronic  care                                                               
management. He  stated that he  currently works at  the Anchorage                                                               
Neighborhood  Health  Center, where  pharmacist-managed  diabetes                                                               
care has strong support from other health care providers.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:52:15 PM                                                                                                                    
AIMEE YOUNG,  representing self, Anchorage, Alaska,  testified in                                                               
support  of  SB 147.  She  said  she nearly  has  20  years as  a                                                               
licensed pharmacist and has practiced  at the top of her training                                                               
through  the  Indian  Health Service.  She  pioneered  a  walk-in                                                               
pharmacy  immunization  clinic  in  2006  that  expanded  vaccine                                                               
access  and  increased  vaccination  rates.  More  recently,  she                                                               
specialized    in    pain    management,    collaborating    with                                                               
multidisciplinary teams to  provide high-quality, non-opioid care                                                               
that reduced opioid use. She  said as a trusted medication expert                                                               
and accessible health care provider,  she urged passage of SB 147                                                               
to allow pharmacists to better serve Alaskan communities.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:54:03 PM                                                                                                                    
BRITTANY KARNS,  representing self, Fairbanks,  Alaska, testified                                                               
in support  of SB 147.  She emphasized that  pharmacists complete                                                               
extensive training  through PharmD  programs and are  educated to                                                               
practice at  a high level  of clinical knowledge. Working  at the                                                               
Indian Health  Service Clinic in  Fairbanks, she  described being                                                               
regularly  sought out  by  physicians  for prescribing  guidance,                                                               
particularly where integrated clinical  pharmacy services are not                                                               
otherwise  available.  She  said pharmacists  practice  within  a                                                               
defined scope and  are not seeking to exceed it,  and rather work                                                               
fully within  the scope, consistent  with other  states. Granting                                                               
prescriptive  authority  within  that scope  would  help  address                                                               
provider  shortages,  relieve   physician  workload,  and  expand                                                               
access to care in Alaska.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:56:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR closed public testimony on SB 147.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:56:50 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR held SB 147 in committee.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:57:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES  stated she  would like  to have  more information                                                               
from  the  sponsor  on  how   SB  147  would  affect  malpractice                                                               
insurance.  She opined  that it  would  be important  to know  if                                                               
malpractice insurance could be a problem.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:58:49 PM                                                                                                                    
ASHLEY  SCHABER,  Chair,  Alaska Board  of  Pharmacy,  Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska, answered a  question on SB 147  concerning insurance. She                                                               
replied  that pharmacists  commonly carry  malpractice insurance,                                                               
either individually  or through  their employers. An  employer in                                                               
Idaho  reported   to  the  Board   of  Pharmacy   that  expanding                                                               
pharmacists'  scope of  practice  did not  result  in changes  to                                                               
malpractice  insurance.  She  said  as  with  other  health  care                                                               
professionals,  pharmacists   are  responsible   for  maintaining                                                               
appropriate malpractice coverage.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:00:05 PM                                                                                                                    
BRANDY  SEIGNEMARTIN,  Executive   Director,  Alaska  Pharmacists                                                               
Association, Eagle River,  Alaska, answered a question  on SB 147                                                               
concerning  insurance. She  responded that  pharmacists do  carry                                                               
malpractice  insurance,  and  discussions  have  been  held  with                                                               
Pharmacists Mutual,  a major insurer,  regarding this  issue. She                                                               
offered to provide the committee  with a summary of the insurer's                                                               
considerations  and  emphasized  the  importance  of  pharmacists                                                               
maintaining their own malpractice coverage.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:00:41 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL  commented on a  statement that,  "if malpractice                                                               
insurance is  expensive the legislature should  care." She stated                                                               
that this  isn't something the  Alaska legislature  regulates and                                                               
it should be regulated by  clinical professionals to determine if                                                               
they will  perform the expanded  services. Each  professional has                                                               
the option  to choose to  carry their own  malpractice insurance.                                                               
The legislature doesn't control malpractice insurance prices.