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SB 2866

AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- COLLABORATIVE PHARMACY PRACTICE

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 8 co-sponsors

Expands pharmacists with advanced training to manage drug therapy under collaborative agreements with physicians and other prescribers to improve patient care and access.

06/22/2026 Signed by Governor
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Bill Summary · SB 2866

Summary of SB 2866 (Rhode Island) — Collaborative Pharmacy Practice

Purpose and Intent

  • Modernize and expand collaborative pharmacy practice under Rhode Island law.
  • Allow not only physicians but other healthcare providers to participate in collaborative practice agreements with pharmacists who have advanced training.
  • Clarify definitions, governance, and scope of drug therapy management to improve patient care and access.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Definitions and Scope

    • Collaborative pharmacy practice: A practice where one or more licensed pharmacists with advanced training collaborate with one or more physician providers (and potentially other prescribers) to manage a patient’s drug therapy under a protocol or written agreement approved by the physician provider and subject to department conditions.
    • Collaborative practice agreement: A written, voluntary agreement between pharmacists (with advanced training) and physician providers that defines the collaborative practice. Agreements may begin once required documentation is complete and must be reviewed and signed annually. No formal approval/denial process is described for starting the agreement itself.
    • Collaborative practice committee: Proposed body to advise the director on issues related to collaborative practice agreements. This section would be removed or replaced by the proposed changes (see Explanatory text).
    • Drug therapy management (DTM): Under a collaborative practice agreement, pharmacists may initiate, adjust, monitor, or discontinue drug therapy; collect/review patient histories; obtain/check vital signs; and order/evaluate related laboratory tests (within approved protocols and without performing diagnostic components). DTMs must be in the patient’s best interest and follow the protocol.
    • Limited-function tests: Includes FDA-approved CLIA-waived tests such as blood glucose, Hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol tests, and other waived tests suitable for over-the-counter sale. Testing is limited to those defined by CLIA.
    • Pharmacist with advanced training: A licensed Rhode Island pharmacist who has completed postgraduate training or certifications (residency, board certification, accredited program, or other approved CE) relevant to the collaborative practice scope.
    • Practice of pharmacy: Encompasses interpretation/evaluation of medical orders, dispensing, drug/device selection, drug regimen reviews, patient counseling, drug therapy management under collaboration, supervision of compounding/labeling, safe storage, and maintenance of records.

  • Governance and Oversight

    • The act would remove the prior “Collaborative Practice Committee” (per explanatory text) and replace or reorganize its role within the regulatory framework, delegating advisory responsibilities to the appropriate boards and committees (with a new or revised structure as described in the bill’s text and explained in the explanatory section).

  • Immunity

    • Immunity from civil or criminal liability for the director of health, board members, the collaborative practice committee, and their agents/employees for actions performed in good faith under this chapter.
    • No civil liability for the board, director, their agents/employees, or involved organizations or witnesses for statements made in good faith during board proceedings.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Licensed pharmacists with advanced training seeking to engage in collaborative drug therapy management.
  • Physicians and other prescribers (referred to as collaborating providers) who enter into collaborative practice agreements with pharmacists.
  • Other healthcare professionals with prescribing privileges who can participate as collaborating providers under the expanded framework.
  • Rhode Island Department of Health and the Boards of Pharmacy and Medical Licensure and Discipline (and their staffs) through updated regulatory duties and potential governance changes.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective Date: July 1, 2026.
  • Timeline requirements:
    • Collaborative practice agreements must be signed and annually reviewed by the parties.
    • Agreements may begin once required documentation is complete.
  • Nothing in the text indicates a formal approval/denial process for entering into a collaborative practice agreement (broad emphasis on voluntary agreement and ongoing documentation).
  • The act would require the director of health to oversee the new framework, with potentially new advisory structures replacing the former Collaborative Practice Committee.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • Expanded access to pharmacist-led drug therapy management, potentially improving chronic disease management and medication optimization.
  • Increased collaboration between pharmacists and a broader set of prescribers.
  • Need for clear clinical protocols, supervision requirements, and quality/safety oversight to ensure patient safety.
  • Administrative changes for annual agreement review and documentation maintenance.
  • Immunity provisions aim to protect regulators and participants acting in good faith but may raise questions about accountability and standards.

If you would like, I can provide a section-by-section redline-style comparison with the current law to highlight all substantive shifts.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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