Tennessee § 63-10-217 - Collaborative pharmacy practice agreements.

§ 63-10-217. Collaborative pharmacy practice agreements.

A collaborative pharmacy practice agreement under this chapter shall be between one (1) or more pharmacists licensed in this state and an individual prescriber licensed in this state, or one (1) or more prescribers licensed in this state in an organized medical group, including but not limited to, staff of a licensed health care facility, clinic, group medical practice, accountable care organization, or patient-centered medical home. When a collaborative practice pharmacy agreement is being established between a pharmacist or pharmacists and an organized medical group or one (1) or more members employed or contracted by an organized medical group, the chief medical officer, medical director, or a designated physician in that group shall be required to approve the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement in order to permit provision of patient care services, as defined in the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. The collaborative pharmacy practice agreement shall define the nature and scope of patient care services to be provided by the pharmacist. The prescriber or prescribers entering into the agreement retain the ultimate authority regarding the scope of services provided by pharmacists in accordance with a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. The patient care services authorized to be provided by one (1) or more pharmacists in accordance with a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement shall be within the scope of practice of the authorizing prescriber or prescribers. Any patient care services provided by a pharmacist or pharmacists pursuant to a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement shall be documented in a patient record accessible by the pharmacist and the prescriber or communicated to the prescriber or prescribers within three (3) business days in accordance with the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. An individual prescriber licensed in this state or one (1) or more prescribers licensed in this state in an organized medical group, as described in the definition of collaborative pharmacy practice agreement in § 63-10-204, may employ pharmacists for the purpose of providing patient care services pursuant to a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement, as defined in § 63-10-204, for the benefit of a patient or patients of that prescriber or prescribers in that organized medical group. No retail pharmacy may employ a prescriber for the purpose of maintaining, establishing or entering into a collaborative practice agreement with a patient. Nothing shall prohibit a pharmacy or pharmacist or group of pharmacists from employing or entering into a professional contract with a physician or licensed medical practitioner for the purpose of conducting quality assurance reviews of its pharmacists that are engaged in the practice of collaborative drug therapy. If the collaborative practice agreement includes one (1) or more prescribers who are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), the collaborating physician who has primary responsibility for collaborating with the APRN, must also approve and sign the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. The collaborating physician may only approve a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement of an APRN if the services authorized in the agreement are included in the routine services delivered by the collaborating physician in the physician's medical practice. An authorizing prescriber entering into collaborative pharmacy practice agreements shall be available for consultation with the pharmacist or pharmacists as needed. If the collaborative practice agreement includes one (1) or more prescribers who are physician assistants (PAs), the supervising physician who has primary responsibility for supervising the PA, must also approve and sign the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. The supervising physician may only approve a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement of a PA if the services authorized in the agreement are included in the routine services delivered by the supervising physician in the physician's medical practice. An authorizing prescriber entering into collaborative pharmacy practice agreements shall be available for consultation with the pharmacist or pharmacists as needed. Pharmacists and authorizing prescribers entering into collaborative pharmacy practice agreements shall maintain a copy of the written collaborative pharmacy practice agreement on file at their places of practice. Collaborative pharmacy practice agreements shall be reviewed and renewed biennially, at a minimum. The board of pharmacy, in collaboration with the board of medical examiners and board of osteopathic examination, shall promulgate rules establishing appropriate minimum standards applicable for provisions to be contained in any collaborative practice agreement, including, but not limited to, provisions regarding drugs or drug categories such as controlled substances covered under the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. All such rules shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. Acts 2014, ch. 832, § 4; 2016, ch. 980, § 20; 2017, ch. 334, § 7. Compiler's Notes. For the Preamble to the act relative to the relationship between physicians and advanced practice registered nurses, please refer to Acts 2017, ch. 334. Amendments. The 2017 amendment rewrote (d) which read: “If the collaborative practice agreement includes one (1) or more prescribers who are either advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) or physician assistants (PA), the supervising physician who has primary responsibility for supervising the APRN or PA, must also approve and sign the collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. The supervising physician may only approve a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement of an APRN or PA if the services authorized in the agreement are included in the routine services delivered by the supervising physician in the physician's medical practice. An authorizing prescriber entering into collaborative pharmacy practice agreements shall be available for consultation with the pharmacist or pharmacists as needed.” Effective Dates. Acts 2017, ch. 334, § 15. July 1, 2017.