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S1043Senate2017-2018 SessionSame asA2857

Let Pharmacy Interns Give Shots

Official title

“Relates to authorizing pharmacy interns to administer immunizations”

Sponsor Rich FunkeSD-55+12 co-sponsorsAffects Education
Status
Senate Floor Calendar
Impact
5/10
Moderate
Outcome
Companion signed

Bill progress

Signed via A2857

What's happening

This bill authorizes pharmacy interns in New York to administer immunizations under supervision after completing required training and certification.

Why it matters

  1. Expands access to immunizations. by allowing pharmacy interns, under strict supervision and after required training, to administer vaccines—helping address workforce shortages and potentially improving public health outcomes, especially during periods of high demand like flu season or pandemics.

  2. Sets rigorous training and certification standards. for pharmacy interns, ensuring they are well-prepared to handle immunization-specific responsibilities, including consent, administration techniques, emergency response, and proper documentation.

  3. Includes clear patient protections. such as requiring immediate personal supervision by a certified pharmacist and mandating that patients are informed of the intern’s status and given the option to be vaccinated by a fully licensed pharmacist instead, promoting transparency and patient choice.

  4. May enhance pharmacy education and experience. by giving interns hands-on immunization experience, making them more job-ready and potentially expanding their role in preventive healthcare delivery upon full licensure.

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Who cares

  • Pharmacy interns

    The bill would allow interns to obtain certification to administer immunizations after completing required training and submitting documentation from their pharmacy program.

  • Licensed pharmacists certified to administer vaccines

    They would provide immediate personal supervision when certified pharmacy interns administer immunizations.

  • Patients receiving vaccines from pharmacy interns

    They would have to be informed that an intern would administer the vaccine and that they could choose a certified pharmacist instead.

  • Pharmacy schools

    Deans or other appropriate program officials would document interns’ completion of the required immunization training.

Headline styles

Let Pharmacy Interns Give Shots

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Rich Funke

Senator · Senate District 55

Chair, Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation

History

  1. Substituted by A2857D
  2. Advanced to third reading
  3. 2nd report cal.
  4. 1st report cal.1422
  5. Print number 1043d
  6. Amend and recommit to higher education
  7. Print number 1043c
  8. Amend and recommit to higher education
  9. Print number 1043b
  10. Amend and recommit to higher education
  11. Referred to higher education
  12. Returned to senate
Show 9 earlier actions
  1. Died in assembly
  2. Referred to higher education
  3. Delivered to assembly
  4. Passed senateVote 60–0
  5. Ordered to third reading cal.1773
  6. Committee discharged and committed to rules
  7. Print number 1043a
  8. Amend (t) and recommit to higher education
  9. Referred to higher education

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

A2857Assembly

Let Pharmacy Interns Give Shots

Signed by Governor · Sponsor John T. McDonald III

Impact 5 · ModerateSigned into law

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

1043--D

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

January 6, 2017

Introduced by Sens. FUNKE, AKSHAR, AMEDORE, AVELLA, GALLIVAN, HANNON, HELMING, KENNEDY, LANZA, LARKIN, ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended,… Show all

Introduced by Sens. FUNKE, AKSHAR, AMEDORE, AVELLA, GALLIVAN, HANNON, HELMING, KENNEDY, LANZA, LARKIN, ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Higher Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing pharmacy interns to administer immunizations

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Section 6806 of the education law, as added by chapter 987 of the laws of 1971, subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 62 of the laws of 1989, is amended to read as follows:

§ 6806. Limited permits. 1. The department may issue a limited permit for employment as a "pharmacy intern" to:

a. A student enrolled in the last two years of a registered program in pharmacy, or

b. A graduate of a program in pharmacy which meets standards established by the commissioner's regulations who is engaged in meeting the experience requirements or whose application for initial licensure is pending with the department.

2. A pharmacy intern may, as determined by the commissioner's regulations, practice as a pharmacist under the immediate personal supervision of a licensed pharmacist. A pharmacy intern may also receive a certificate of administration if he or she provides satisfactory

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD04291-11-8

S. 1043--D 2

evidence to the commissioner that he or she meets the requirements of subdivision three of this section.

3. No pharmacy intern shall administer immunizing agents without receiving training satisfactory to the commissioner and the commissioner of health, as prescribed in regulations of the commissioner, which shall include, but not be limited to: techniques for screening individuals and obtaining informed consent; techniques of administration; indications, precautions and contraindications in the use of an agent or agents; recordkeeping of immunization and information; and handling emergencies, including anaphylaxis and needlestick injuries. To receive a certification to administer immunizations, the pharmacy intern shall provide documentation, on a form prescribed by the department, from the dean or other appropriate official of the registered program that the intern has completed the required training, pursuant to regulations of the commissioner.

4. A limited permit issued to a pharmacy intern shall have an expiration date of five years from the date of issue. Limited permits may be renewed once for a period not to exceed two years.

[4.] 5. Fees. The fee for each limited permit issued to a pharmacy intern shall be seventy dollars.

6. In the case of a pharmacy intern, certified to administer immunizations, administration must be conducted under the immediate personal supervision of a licensed pharmacist certified to administer vaccines. A person receiving a vaccine must be informed that a pharmacy intern, certified to administer immunizations, will be administering the vaccine and of the option to receive the vaccination from a certified pharmacist.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing pharmacy interns to administer immunizations

Purpose or general idea of bill

Authorizes trained registered pharmacy interns to administer immuniza- tion injections under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 amends section 6806 of the education law to authorize a regis- tered pharmacy intern to administer immunization injections.

Section 2 contains the effective date.

Justification

New York is one of the few states which do not authorize registered pharmacy interns to administer immunization injections. As of 2012, 35 states allowed such administration.

New York's pharmacy colleges are losing students to out of state rota- tion programs due to the current state law. Normally, pharmacy students participate in a rotation internship during the latter half of their degree program. Without the ability to administer injections, these students are denied the experience of administering an injection. Instead, they must wait until they have already entered the work force to learn how this essential skill in an applied setting.

This bill corrects this by authorizing registered pharmacies interns to administer injections while under the direct supervisions of a regis- tered pharmacist. Students would have to attain a specific certification and complete training before they were able to administer such injections. This would provide a valuable learning experience to pharma- cy students while maintaining oversight.

Prior legislative history

2015-2016 A9312/57242

Fiscal implications

None to State

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.