LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill (SB) 219 into law today, quickly approving an MPA-priority measure that was introduced earlier this year.

SB 219 authorizes pharmacists to independently prescribe and administer Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices-indicated (ACIP) vaccines to patients ages 3 and up. Additionally, it allows for pharmacists to independently administer Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-waived (CLIA) tests for influenza and COVID-19. In the event of a positive test, the legislation allows pharmacists to dispense appropriate antiviral therapies to the patient.

The final version of the bill includes the following provisions:

• Pharmacists may independently order an immunization recommended by ACIP to individuals 3 years of age and up provided they have completed a board-approved training program.
• Requires pharmacists to provide information about the Vaccines for Children Program to individuals younger than 19 years of age.
• Requires pharmacists to report all immunizations they administer into MCIR.
• Pharmacists may independently order and administer a CLIA-waived test for COVID-19, influenza, or other respiratory illness provided they have completed a board-approved training program. This statutory authority does not preempt a pharmacist’s ability to order and administer CLIA-waived tests as otherwise authorized under federal law or pursuant to a collaborative practice agreement.
• Based on the result of a COVID-19 or influenza test, pharmacists may dispense antiviral therapy to a patient without a prescription.

“The Michigan Pharmacists Association is pleased this important piece of legislation was quickly passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer,” said Mark Glasper, MPA chief executive officer. “SB 219 will allow pharmacists to practice at the top of their license while creating greater access to their patients. We want to thank Sen. Sylvia Santana for sponsoring the bill and our partners for working with us to create a meaningful bill for Michigan pharmacy.”

Introduced by Santana in March, SB 219 passed the Michigan Senate 36-1 in May. The House received the bill shortly after and overwhelmingly passed it 96-12 June 27. The Senate concurred 35-1 the same day, sending it to the governor for final approval.

Though the legislation was granted immediate effect, the clauses pertaining to immunization and point-of-care testing authority will only become active once the Michigan Board of Pharmacy approves a certification program for each of these. The law states that only those pharmacists that have completed a Board-approved training program have the expanded authority granted by the legislation.