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SB 294

Collaborative Pharmacy Practice for Chronic Health Conditions

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Gayle Harrell

Florida bill enabling pharmacists to adjust medications and order tests for chronic conditions through physician-approved collaborative agreements to improve healthcare access.

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Bill Summary · SB 294

Legislative bill overview

SB 294 would expand Florida pharmacists' scope of practice by authorizing collaborative agreements with physicians to manage chronic health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Under these agreements, pharmacists could independently adjust medication dosages, order lab tests, and initiate or discontinue certain medications within established protocols.

Why is this important

This bill addresses potential healthcare access and cost issues in Florida by leveraging underutilized pharmacist expertise, particularly in rural and underserved areas where physician shortages exist. Expanded pharmacist roles could reduce patient wait times for routine medication adjustments and monitoring, though implementation would depend on establishing effective physician-pharmacist collaboration frameworks.

Potential points of contention

  • Professional scope concerns: Physicians and some medical organizations may oppose expanding pharmacist authority, viewing medication management decisions as inherently medical practice requiring full physician oversight
  • Liability and accountability: Unclear standards for who bears responsibility when collaborative decisions result in adverse patient outcomes could create legal ambiguity
  • Variability in training: Pharmacists lack uniform additional training in physical diagnosis and disease management compared to physicians, potentially creating inconsistent care quality across different pharmacy settings

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

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