Bill > SB506

This bill expands the authority of pharmacists in Maryland by allowing them to prescribe, administer, and dispense certain drugs and devices for minor conditions and for the prevention and treatment of HIV, and to perform and interpret certain laboratory tests. It repeals the existing Nonoccupational Postexposure Prophylaxis (nPEP) Standing Order Program, which was a specific program for dispensing medication to prevent HIV after potential exposure. Instead, the Maryland Department of Health is authorized to create statewide written protocols, which are standardized plans or guidelines, for pharmacists to follow when treating minor conditions and managing HIV prevention and treatment. This means pharmacists will have broader capabilities to address common health issues and provide crucial HIV-related services under these new, broader protocols.