Injectable administration privileges among pharmacists in the United States

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Medication Administration
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Pharmacists are increasingly involved in direct patient care.
• Expanding pharmacist scope of practice includes administering injectable medications.
• Understanding state-specific regulations is crucial for pharmacist-led injections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the current landscape of pharmacist privileges for administering nonvaccine injectable medications across the United States.
• To identify the states that permit pharmacists to administer injectables and the regulatory frameworks governing these practices.

Main Methods:

• An email inquiry was sent to state Boards of Pharmacy (BOPs) nationwide.
• State regulations and guidelines were reviewed online to gather information on pharmacist injectable privileges.
• Follow-up communications clarified specific drug allowances in states with granted privileges.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one states currently provide explicit written rules or information regarding pharmacists' authority to administer nonvaccine injectable products.
• Collaborative practice agreements are the primary mechanism granting this authority in most of these states.
• The range of injectable products pharmacists can administer varies significantly by state.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacists in 21 states possess privileges to administer injectable medications beyond vaccines.
• Authorization pathways include ACPE-approved training, collaborative practice agreements, valid prescriptions, and board certification.
• State regulations define the specific conditions and scope for pharmacist administration of injectables.