Tennessee Senate Bill SB0569

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/25
• Engrossed: 3/6/25
• Enrolled: 3/13/25
• Passed: 3/25/25
• Chaptered: 4/8/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 53, Chapter 10; Title 56, Chapter 32 and Title 63, Chapter 10, relative to pharmacy.

Summary

SB 569 amends Tennessee pharmacy and controlled-substance laws to expand who may lawfully handle or dispense certain medications and pharmacy services. The bill adds pharmacists authorized under Tennessee law to existing provisions that already reference veterinarians, and it makes related conforming changes across multiple code sections. It also revises language in the pharmacy/insurance statutes to clarify that insurers and pharmacy benefit arrangements must not prohibit certain pharmacy-related practices. A major practical effect of the bill is to broaden pharmacists’ role in reproductive health care, especially around hormonal contraceptives. The bill updates the insurance and pharmacy benefit provisions so pharmacists are included alongside certified nurse midwives in the statute governing access to contraceptive services, and it removes language that had limited administrative fees for patients with coverage for hormonal contraceptives. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and it amends Tennessee Code Annotated Titles 53, 56, and 63.

Impact

The bill changes Tennessee law by expressly recognizing pharmacists authorized under § 63-10-204 in statutes governing controlled substances and pharmacy practice, and by updating insurance/pharmacy benefit provisions to include pharmacists in the delivery of hormonal contraceptive-related services. It affects provisions in Title 53 (controlled substances), Title 56 (insurance), and Title 63 (professions and pharmacy), and it likely expands the scope of pharmacist authority and insurer obligations in the contraceptive-access context.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported. It passed the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee unanimously 7-0, then cleared floor votes by comfortable margins, including 27-3 on third consideration and 84-4 on final passage. The voting pattern suggests general bipartisan acceptance of the bill’s pharmacy-practice and access-to-care changes.

Contention

The main area of potential contention is the expansion of pharmacists’ authority in reproductive health care, particularly the dispensing or administration of hormonal contraceptives and the related insurance coverage rules. While the bill’s text is technical and conforming in nature, changes to contraceptive access and insurer requirements can raise concerns among opponents about scope of practice, administrative fees, and the role of pharmacists versus other health-care providers. The recorded votes show only limited opposition, indicating that any objections were not strong enough to prevent passage.