BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 500

By: Van de Putte

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas State Board of Pharmacy is responsible for the regulation of all pharmacy technicians and pharmacists who practice in Texas. Both the prevalence of pharmacy technicians and the role they play in health care are growing, as pharmacy technicians provide significant services in assisting pharmacists and providing care to patients. The board currently consists of six pharmacists and three members of the public, and there is no provision either requiring or authorizing the appointment of a pharmacy technician to the board. S.B. 500 seeks to include a pharmacy technician on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy to ensure that the board has the opportunity to benefit from a pharmacy technician's perspective in the regulatory process. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 500 amends the Occupations Code to increase from nine to 11 the number of members on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and increase from six to seven the number of members on the board who must be pharmacists. The bill requires that one member of the board be a pharmacy technician and requires such a board member, at the time of appointment, to be a resident of Texas, have been registered as a pharmacy technician for the five years preceding appointment, be in good standing to act as a pharmacy technician in Texas, and be acting as a pharmacy technician in Texas. The bill establishes that either three or four members' terms, as applicable, expire every other year, rather than three members' terms expiring every other year. The bill removes the requirement that the board meet at least twice each year for the examination of applicants. The bill requires the governor, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to appoint to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy a pharmacy technician with a term expiring August 31, 2019, and a pharmacist with a term expiring August 31, 2017.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.