2015 Legislation

HB 269 : This bill creates the “Florida Right to Try Act,” which provides a framework in which an eligible patient with a terminal condition may access investigational drugs, biological products, and devices from the manufacturer after phase one clinical trials. A terminal condition is specifically defined under the Act as a progressive disease or medical or surgical condition that causes significant functional impairment, is not considered by a treating physician to be reversible even with the administration of available treatment options currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and, without the administration of life-sustaining procedures, will result in death within 1 year after diagnosis if the condition runs its normal course. The Act also defines and requires written informed consent by the patient, the parent of a minor patient, a patient’s court-appointed guardian or the patient’s health care surrogate. Finally, the bill prohibits actions against a physician’s license based solely on his or her recommendation regarding access to or treatment with an investigational product under this Act.

HB 279: Pharmacy

HB 279 : This bill authorizes a registered pharmacy intern to administer certain immunizations or vaccines to adults under the supervision of a pharmacist who is certified to administer vaccines when the intern is acting within the framework of a protocol under a supervising physician. A registered intern who administers an immunization or vaccine must be supervised by a certified pharmacist at a ratio of one pharmacist to one registered intern. Prior to administering vaccines, a pharmacy intern will need to obtain certification which is based on at least 20 hours of coursework that has been approved by the Board of Pharmacy. The bill also expands the specified list of vaccines that a pharmacist may administer, which may also be administered by a registered intern. This bill is effective July 1, 2015.