Florida § 401.272 - Emergency medical services community health care.

§ 401.272. Emergency medical services community health care.

(1) The purpose of this section is to encourage more effective utilization of the skills of emergency medical technicians and paramedics by enabling them to perform specific additional health care tasks that are consistent with the public health and welfare. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary: (a) Paramedics or emergency medical technicians shall operate under the medical direction of a physician through two-way voice communication or pursuant to established standing orders or protocols and within the scope of their training when providing basic life support, advanced life support, and health promotion and wellness activities in a nonemergency environment. As used in this paragraph, the term “health promotion and wellness” means the provision of public health programs pertaining to the prevention of illness and injury. (b) Paramedics and emergency medical technicians shall operate under the medical direction of a physician through two-way communication or pursuant to established standing orders or protocols and within the scope of their training when a patient is not transported to an emergency department or is transported to a facility other than a hospital as defined in s. 395.002(12). (c) Paramedics may administer immunizations in a nonemergency environment, within the scope of their training, and under the medical direction of a physician through two-way communication or pursuant to established standing orders or protocols. There must be a written agreement between the physician providing medical direction and the department or the county health department located in each county in which the paramedic administers immunizations. This agreement must establish the protocols, policies, and procedures under which the paramedic must operate. (d) Paramedics may provide basic life support services and advanced life support services to patients receiving acute and postacute hospital care at home as specified in the paramedic’s supervisory relationship with a physician or standing orders as described in s. 401.265, s. 458.348, or s. 459.025. A physician who supervises or provides medical direction to a paramedic who provides basic life support services or advanced life support services to patients receiving acute and postacute hospital care at home pursuant to a formal supervisory relationship or standing orders is liable for any act or omission of the paramedic acting under the physician’s supervision or medical direction when providing such services. The department may adopt and enforce rules necessary to implement this paragraph. (3) Each physician providing medical direction to a paramedic who administers immunizations must verify and document that the paramedic has received sufficient training and experience to administer immunizations. The verification must be documented on forms developed by the department, and the completed forms must be maintained at the service location of the licensee and made available to the department upon request. (4) The department may adopt and enforce all rules necessary to enforce the provisions relating to a paramedic’s administration of immunizations and the performance of health promotion and wellness activities by a paramedic or emergency medical technician in a nonemergency environment.