Health Occupations - Pharmacists - Minor Conditions and HIV Prevention and Treatment (Rapid Testing and Preventive Care Act)
HB1150 expands the scope of pharmacy practice in Maryland by allowing pharmacists, under statewide written protocols, to test for, screen for, and treat certain minor conditions and to use waived tests to guide clinical decisions. The bill specifically lists conditions such as cold sores, group A strep pharyngitis, influenza, lice, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, skin conditions such as ringworm and athlete’s foot, urinary tract infection, and other emerging public health threats identified by the Department. It also authorizes pharmacists to delegate certain testing tasks to pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, or trainees under supervision.
The bill also creates a new framework for HIV prevention and treatment services in pharmacies. It authorizes the Maryland Department of Health to establish a statewide written protocol for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), under which pharmacists may perform and interpret HIV-related laboratory tests, conduct assessments and consultations, initiate, dispense, or administer PrEP and PEP medications, and refer patients for additional care. At the same time, the bill repeals the existing nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis (nPEP) standing order program and replaces it with the new protocol-based approach.
HB1150 amends the Maryland Health Occupations Article to broaden pharmacists’ authority and adds new statutory sections governing pharmacist treatment of minor conditions and HIV prevention services. It repeals the current nPEP standing order provisions in the Health-General Article and replaces them with a more general statewide protocol system administered through the Maryland Department of Health and the State Board of Pharmacy. The bill affects pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, and patients seeking convenient access to testing, treatment, and preventive medications, while excluding controlled substances from the new prescribing authority.
The bill appears to have generally favorable support in the House, where it was reported favorably with amendments, adopted, and later passed third reading by a wide margin of 96 yeas to 35 nays. The available record suggests broad legislative interest in expanding access to care through pharmacists, especially for common acute conditions and HIV prevention. The absence of committee transcript excerpts limits insight into detailed debate, but the vote totals indicate meaningful support alongside a notable minority of opposition.
Likely points of contention include whether pharmacists should be authorized to diagnose or treat minor conditions, how far their prescribing authority should extend, and whether statewide protocols provide sufficient clinical oversight. The HIV-related provisions may also have raised concerns about testing, counseling, referral requirements, and the replacement of the existing nPEP standing order program. Opposition likely centered on scope-of-practice expansion, patient safety, and the role of physicians and other clinicians versus pharmacists in primary and preventive care.