SB 5983 — Allowing medical assistants with telehealth supervision to provide intramuscular injections for syphilis treatment.

ENGROSSEDS-3776.2 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5983 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session By Senate Health & Long Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Liias, Rivers, Dhingra, Nobles, Pedersen, Robinson, and Van De Wege)Wege READPrefiled FIRST01/04/24. TIME 01/24/24.

ANRead ACTfirst Relatingtime to01/08/24. implementing recommendations from the 2022 sexually transmitted infection and hepatitis B virus legislative advisory group for the treatment of syphilis;

amendingReferred RCWto 18.360.050;Committee on Health & Long Term Care.

addingAN ACT Relating to allowing medical assistants with telehealth access to a newsupervising sectionclinician to chapterprovide 70.24intramuscular RCW;injections for syphilis treatment in the field for public health response efforts;

amending RCW 18.360.010 and 18.360.050;

adding a new section to chapter 18.360 RCW;

It is the intent of the legislature to increase access to syphilis treatment to populationsp. with high rates of syphilis and who are at the most risk of serious health outcomes due to syphilis infection.

p.1 SB 5983 populations with high rates of syphilis and who are at the most risk of serious health outcomes due to syphilis infection.

1 ESSB 5983 Sec.

RCW 18.360.010 and 2023 c 134 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Administer" means the retrieval of medication, and its application to a patient, as authorized in RCW 18.360.050.

(2) "Delegation" means direct authorization granted by a licensed health care practitioner to a medical assistant to perform the functions authorized in this chapter which fall within the scope of practice of the health care provider and the training and experience of the medical assistant.

(3) "Department" means the department of health.

(4) "Forensic phlebotomist" means a police officer, law enforcement officer, or employee of a correctional facility or detention facility, who is certified under this chapter and meets any additional training and proficiency standards of his or her employer to collect a venous blood sample for forensic testing pursuant to a search warrant, a waiver of the warrant requirement, or exigent circumstances.

(5) "Health care practitioner" means:

(a) A physician licensed under chapter 18.71 RCW;

(b) An osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed under chapter 18.57 RCW;

or (c) Acting within the scope of their respective licensure, a podiatric physician and surgeon licensed under chapter 18.22 RCW, a registered nurse or advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW, a naturopath licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW, a physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.71A RCW, or an optometrist licensed under chapter 18.53 RCW.

(6) "Local health officer" means a local health officer as defined in RCW 70.05.010.

(7) "Medical assistant-certified" means a person certified under RCW 18.360.040 who assists a health care practitioner with patient care, executes administrative and clinical procedures, and performs functions as provided in RCW 18.360.050 under the supervision of the health care practitioner.

p.

2 SB 5983 (((7))) (8) "Medical assistant-hemodialysis technician" means a person certified under RCW 18.360.040 who performs hemodialysis and other functions pursuant to RCW 18.360.050 under the supervision of a health care practitioner.

(((8))) (9) "Medical assistant-phlebotomist" means a person certified under RCW 18.360.040 who performs capillary, venous, and arterial invasive procedures for blood withdrawal and other functions pursuant to RCW 18.360.050 under the supervision of a health care practitioner.

(((9))) (10) "Medical assistant-registered" means a person registered under RCW 18.360.040 who, pursuant to an endorsement by a health care practitioner, clinic, or group practice, assists a health care practitioner with patient care, executes administrative and clinical procedures, and performs functions as provided in RCW 18.360.050 under the supervision of the health care practitioner.

(((10))) (11) "Secretary" means the secretary of the department of health.

(((11))) (12)(a) "Supervision" means supervision of procedures permitted pursuant to this chapter by a health care practitioner who is physically present and is immediately available in the facility, except as provided in (b) and (c) of this subsection.

(b) The health care practitioner does not need to be present during procedures to withdraw blood, administer vaccines, or obtain specimens for or perform diagnostic testing, but must be immediately available.

(c) During a telemedicine visit, supervision over a medical assistant assisting a health care practitioner with the telemedicine visit may be provided through interactive audio and video telemedicine technology.

Sec.

3.

(b)p. Clinical procedures:

3 SB 5983 (b) Clinical procedures:

p.(ii) Obtaining vital signs;

2 ESSB 5983 (ii) Obtaining vital signs;

(f)(i)p. Administering medications.

4 SB 5983 (f)(i) Administering medications.

(iii) A medical assistant-certified may administer intramuscular injections for the purposes of treating known or suspected syphilis infection without immediate supervision if a health care practitioner is providing supervision through interactive audio and video telemedicine technology in accordance with RCW 18.360.010(11)(c).

The minimum standards must be substantially similar to the qualifications p.for category D and F health care assistants as they exist on July 1, 2013.

3 ESSB 5983 for category D and F health care assistants as they exist on July 1, 2013.