Pharmacies; pharmacists are authorized to dispense preexposure prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis under certain conditions; provide
SB 195 authorizes Georgia pharmacists, under specified conditions, to dispense and administer HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). The bill allows pharmacists to provide a 30- to 90-day supply of PrEP, and a 30-day supply of PEP, and also permits administration of long-acting injectable forms of these medications when the pharmacist is operating under a physician-approved protocol agreement. It sets out patient screening requirements, including HIV-negative status for PrEP, review of contraindicated medications, documentation duties, and notification or referral obligations for follow-up care.
The bill also directs the State Board of Pharmacy and the medical board to establish or approve pharmacist training, protocol standards, and related rules. Before dispensing or administering these medications, pharmacists must complete an approved training program covering pharmacology, contraindications, financial assistance, and federal CDC guidance. For injectable PrEP/PEP, the bill imposes additional safeguards such as physician-pharmacist protocol agreements, liability insurance, privacy requirements, observation periods, documentation, and limits on delegation to interns or qualified technicians under supervision.
SB 195 amends Georgia pharmacy and medical practice law by creating new statutory authority for pharmacists to provide PrEP and PEP services and by establishing a regulatory framework for physician-delegated protocol agreements. It adds new requirements for training, patient screening, recordkeeping, notification to primary care providers, insurance coverage, and board oversight, while also authorizing sanctions for noncompliance. The bill affects pharmacists, physicians, pharmacy interns, qualified pharmacy technicians, and patients seeking HIV prevention treatment, and it gives the State Board of Pharmacy and the medical board rulemaking and enforcement responsibilities.
The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support for the bill. It passed the Senate 55-0, passed the House 153-7, and later the Senate agreed to the House substitute 43-0. No committee transcripts were provided, but the unanimous or near-unanimous votes indicate the measure was generally viewed favorably as a public health and access-to-care bill. The overall tone reflected in the legislative action is supportive rather than divided.
The main policy tension in SB 195 is between expanding access to HIV prevention medications through pharmacists and maintaining physician oversight, patient safety, and professional accountability. The bill addresses these concerns by requiring training, protocol agreements, HIV testing or verification, notification to primary care providers, privacy protections, liability insurance, and limits on delegation and the number of pharmacists a physician may supervise. Potential points of concern include the scope of pharmacist prescriptive authority, the administrative burden on pharmacies and physicians, and the sanctions tied to compliance failures, but the recorded votes suggest these issues did not produce significant opposition in the legislature.