Background: Health care assistants are unlicensed individuals who assist licensed health care practitioners in providing health care to patients. The Secretary of the Department of Health (Secretary) has established minimum requirements for a health care facility or health care practitioner to certify a health care assistant capable of performing certain functions. The Secretary has also established minimum requirements for each category of health care assistant. Health care assistants are permitted to administer skin tests and subcutaneous,intradermal, intramuscular, and intravenous injections and minor invasive procedures to withdraw blood. Health care assistants must be under the supervision of a health care practitioner (delegator) to perform these procedures. Delegators are required to maintain a list of medications, diagnostic agents, and the route of administration that the delegator has authorized for injection by the health care assistant. This list is provided to the Secretary. Summary of Bill: Health care assistants are given authority to administer Food and Drug Administration approved vaccines by injection, orally, or topically. Physician assistants are added to the list of those health care practitioners who can delegate authority to a health care assistant. The delegator is required to maintain a list of vaccines that the delegator has authorized for administration.
BILL WAS SIGNED BY GOVENOR GREGOIRE ON MARCH 18, 2008!
Thank you to our WSSMA Members on the Hill! Thank you to our members for your support in contacting our legislators and representatives!
