Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2068

Introduced
1/23/25  
Refer
1/23/25  
Report Pass
2/6/25  
Engrossed
2/17/25  
Refer
2/18/25  
Report Pass
3/10/25  
Enrolled
4/9/26  

Caption

Establishing the remote practice of pharmacy, requiring certain conditions for such practice and limiting activities performed under such practice, permitting a pharmacist to initiate therapy for certain conditions consistent with the pharmacist's education, training and experience, adding pharmacists who initiate such therapy to the healthcare stabilization fund and allowing a pharmacist to dispense a one-time emergency refill of a noncontrolled prescription drug for up to a 90-day supply when no refills remain, adopting compounding standards established by the United States pharmacopeia and allowing for exemptions from such standards and removing the authority of the state board of pharmacy to authorize individuals to access the prescription monitoring program database by rules and regulations.

Impact

The bill's passage will amend the Kansas Pharmacy Act, introducing new provisions that address the practice of pharmacy in a more modern context. It allows for improved access to pharmacy services, particularly in rural or underserved areas, by facilitating the remote practice of pharmacy. This flexibility is expected to streamline pharmacy operations and decrease patient wait times for medication, especially for non-controlled substances. Furthermore, pharmacists who initiate therapy will be included in the state's healthcare stabilization fund, providing a layer of professional liability coverage, thus ensuring protection for their practice.

Summary

House Bill 2068 is a legislative proposal focused on the scope of practice for pharmacists in Kansas. It allows pharmacies to employ remote workers to deliver pharmacy services from locations outside the physical pharmacy. The bill delineates the requirements for remote work, ensuring that remote practice is conducted under strict protocols designed to maintain patient confidentiality and proper record-keeping. Additionally, pharmacists are empowered to initiate therapy for specific health conditions, with explicit guidance on working within their professional training and the established standards of care.

Sentiment

General sentiment around HB 2068 appears to be largely supportive among pharmacy professionals, as it expands the role and capabilities of pharmacists in patient care. Proponents argue that this bill not only meets the growing demand for accessible healthcare services but also empowers pharmacists, positioning them as critical healthcare providers. However, there are concerns among some healthcare advocates regarding possible overreach, with fears that it may blur the lines of responsibilities between pharmacists and physicians, particularly in therapy initiation.

Contention

Notable points of contention include discussions around the authority granted to pharmacists to initiate therapy for certain conditions. Critics argue that this may lead to potential misdiagnoses or inappropriate therapies if pharmacists step beyond their training. Furthermore, the bill also includes protocols for remote practice that call for safeguarding patient information and ensuring compliance with quality standards, which are essential to prevent any malpractice issues. The balance of promoting efficiency in healthcare delivery while ensuring patient safety remains a central theme of the debates surrounding HB 2068.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

KS SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

KS SB3

Clarifying the procedures and restrictions on accepting a nomination for an elected office.

Similar Bills

WI SB203

Regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, fiduciary and disclosure requirements on pharmacy benefit managers, and application of prescription drug payments to health insurance cost-sharing requirements. (FE)

WI AB173

Regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, fiduciary and disclosure requirements on pharmacy benefit managers, and application of prescription drug payments to health insurance cost-sharing requirements. (FE)

TX HB3317

Relating to the relationship between pharmacists or pharmacies and health benefit plan issuers or pharmacy benefit managers.

AZ HB2196

pharmacists; pharmacies; reimbursement costs; appeals

AZ HB2208

Pharmacists; pharmacies; reimbursement costs; appeals

TX SB1236

Relating to the relationship between pharmacists or pharmacies and health benefit plan issuers or pharmacy benefit managers.

KS SB431

Establishing the remote practice of pharmacy, requiring certain conditions for such practice and limiting activities performed under such practice.

CA AB1503

Pharmacy.