§ 20-633 — Administration of vaccines and epinephrine cartridge injectors by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Disclosures. Training. Recordkeeping. Regulations.

Connecticut § 20-633

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 20: Professional and Occupational Licensing, Certification, Title Protection and Registration. Examining Boards
• Ch. 400j: Pharmacy

Text

(a)(1) Any person licensed as a pharmacist under part II of this chapter may order, prescribe and administer: (A) Any vaccine, approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration that is listed on the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's age-appropriate immunization schedule, to any patient who is: (i) Eighteen years of age or older; or (ii) at least twelve years of age but younger than eighteen years of age with (I) the consent of such patient's parent, legal guardian or other person having legal custody of such patient, or (II) proof that such patient is an emancipated minor; (B) Any vaccine not included on the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Adult Immunization Schedule to any patient who is eighteen years of age or older, provided the vaccine administration instructions for such vaccine are available on the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Internet web site; and (C) Any vaccine pursuant to a verbal or written prescription of a prescribing practitioner for a specific patient. (2) A pharmacist shall make a reasonable effort to review a patient's vaccination history to prevent any inappropriate use of a requested vaccine. (3) All vaccines administered pursuant to this section shall be administered in accordance with the: (A) Vaccine manufacturer's package insert or the orders of a prescribing practitioner; and (B) regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. (4) A pharmacist may delegate to an advanced pharmacy technician the pharmacist's authority to administer a vaccine described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection to a patient described in said subparagraph, provided the advanced pharmacy technician administers the vaccine: (A) Under the direct supervision of such pharmacist; and (B) in accordance with the provisions of this section and the regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. (b) A pharmacist who has completed the training required in regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section may administer an epinephrine cartridge injector, as defined in section 19a-909 , to a patient whom the pharmacist reasonably believes, based on such pharmacist's knowledge and training, is experiencing anaphylaxis, regardless of whether such patient has a prescription for an epinephrine cartridge injector. Such pharmacist, or such pharmacist's designee, shall call the 9-1-1 emergency telephone number either before or immediately after such pharmacist administers the epinephrine cartridge injector to such patient. Such pharmacist shall document the date, time and circumstances in which such pharmacist administered such epinephrine cartridge injector, and maintain such documentation for at least three years. (c) (1) A certified and registered pharmacy technician may administer a vaccine to a patient at a pharmacy if: (A) The managing pharmacist of such pharmacy is authorized to administer vaccines under this section; and (B) such pharmacy technician (i) has successfully completed a course of hands-on training, certified by the American Council for Pharmacy Education, concerning the administration of vaccines, (ii) has been trained at such pharmacy regarding the process for administering vaccines to patients at such pharmacy, (iii) successfully completes at least one hour of annual continuing education concerning immunization, (iv) has been evaluated by the managing pharmacist of such pharmacy, and (v) administers such vaccine at the direction of the pharmacist on duty at such pharmacy. (2) During the period beginning on September first and ending on March thirty-first of the succeeding calendar year, a certified and registered pharmacy technician shall not count toward the pharmacist-to-technician ratio set forth in section 20-576-33 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies if such pharmacy technician: (A) Is authorized to administer vaccines under this section; and (B) exclusively performs duties related to the administration of vaccines during such period. (d) (1) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health and the Commission of Pharmacy, shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section. Such regulations shall: (A) Require any pharmacist who administers a vaccine pursuant to this section to successfully complete an immunization training program for pharmacists; (B) define the basic requirements of such training program, which shall include training and instruction in pre-administration education and screening, vaccine storage and handling, subcutaneous and intramuscular injections, recordkeeping, vaccine safety, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, basic cardiac life support and adverse event reporting; (C) identify qualifying training programs, which are accredited by the National Centers for Disease Control Prevention, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education or another appropriate national accrediting body; and (D) establish a system of control and reporting. (2) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may amend the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to: (A) Establish additional requirements concerning delegations by pharmacists to advanced pharmacy technicians under this section; and (B) the administration of vaccines by advanced pharmacy technicians under this section.

Legislative History

(P.A. 05-212, S. 6; P.A. 10-82, S. 1; P.A. 12-207, S. 1; P.A. 22-92, S. 24; P.A. 23-19, S. 5; P.A. 24-73, S. 9.) History: P.A. 05-212 effective July 6, 2005; P.A. 10-82 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting “On and after October 1, 2005”, replacing provision re administration of influenza vaccine with provision re administration of vaccine approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration and adding Subdivs. (1) to (3) re types of vaccines that may be administered by licensed pharmacists and amended Subsec. (b) by deleting “Not later than September 1, 2005” and making technical changes; P.A. 12-207 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing provision re specified purposes for which a vaccine may be administered with provision re vaccine listed on the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Adult Immunization Schedule and making a technical change; P.A. 22-92 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions re administration of a vaccine to an adult as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re administration of the influenza vaccine to any person between the ages of 12 and 17, Subsec. (b)(1) by deleting “to an adult” and Subsec. (c) by changing reference to “an individual” to “a person”, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 23-19 substantially amended Subsec. (a) re vaccine administration, added new Subsec. (b) re administration of epinephrine cartridge injectors by pharmacists, added new Subsec. (c) re administration of vaccines by pharmacy technicians, redesignated Subsec. (b) re adoption of regulations as Subsec. (d) and made technical changes, and deleted former Subsec. (c) defining “adult”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-73 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding “order, prescribe and” in introductory language, substituting reference to age-appropriate immunization schedule for reference to Adult Immunization Schedule in Subpara. (A) and adding provision re patients 18 years of age or older in Subpara. (B), added Subsec. (a)(4) re delegation by pharmacists to advanced pharmacy technicians, amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions as new Subdiv. (1) and adding new Subdiv. (2) re amendment to regulations and made technical and conforming changes in Subsecs. (a)(1)(A)(ii)(II) and (d)(1).