Bill > H2001

This bill allows registered nurses to delegate the administration of certain medications in a patient's home to trained home health aides, who are defined as individuals providing health services in a person's residence under a home health agency. This delegation is permitted only if the home health aide has completed specific training on medication administration and meets requirements set by the board and the department of public health, all under the supervision of a registered nurse. However, this delegation specifically excludes controlled substances and is limited to methods such as oral, topical, or inhaled medications, as well as prefilled auto-injectables designed for self-administration, but it does not permit delegation for injections like intramuscular or intravenous. The bill also mandates that the board and the department of public health create regulations for documentation, training, and minimum requirements, emphasizing that this delegation does not relieve the home health agency or hospice of their duty to teach patients or families about self-administration of medications when appropriate. Home health agencies will be responsible for providing this training and establishing protocols to document its completion, with both the delegating registered nurse and the home health aide being accountable for their actions in the process, and the nurse verifying the aide's training. The delegation is personal to the specific aide and cannot be further transferred, and nurses are not required to delegate if they deem it inappropriate, with the ability to revoke delegation based on professional judgment. Importantly, a nurse who delegates medication administration according to these regulations will not face disciplinary action for the actions of the aide to whom the delegation was made.