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Bill

SB 309

TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS HEALTH CARE CONSUMER ACT; TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF "PSYCHIATRIC COLLABORATIVE CARE MODEL"; AND TO INCLUDE CERTAIN CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIC PHARMACIST SERVICES IN THE PSYCHIATRIC COLLABORATIVE CARE MODEL.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mary Bentley and 1 co-sponsor

Arkansas expands psychiatric care teams to formally include clinical psychiatric pharmacist services in collaborative mental health treatment models.

Sine Die adjournment
0
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Bill Summary · SB 309

Legislative bill overview

SB 309 amends Arkansas's health care consumer protections to expand the definition of "Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model" and explicitly includes clinical psychiatric pharmacist services within this model. The bill allows psychiatric pharmacists to participate more formally in coordinated mental health care delivery alongside physicians and other providers.

Why is this important

This change addresses workforce gaps in mental health care by enabling clinical psychiatric pharmacists—specialized medication experts—to play an expanded role in treatment teams. Given Arkansas's mental health provider shortages, this could improve medication management and increase access to psychiatric services, particularly in underserved areas.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope of practice expansion: Some physicians may oppose broadening pharmacists' clinical roles, viewing it as encroachment on medical authority or expressing concerns about oversight and liability
  • Reimbursement questions: Unclear whether insurance coverage would follow these expanded services, potentially limiting practical implementation if payment mechanisms aren't established
  • Training and credential standards: The bill's specificity regarding what qualifies a "clinical psychiatric pharmacist" and what services they can independently provide may be insufficient for consistent implementation across providers

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

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