SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1899

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 9, 2024

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1899 (1R).

      As amended by the committee, this bill expands the authority of pharmacy technicians to administer drugs and vaccines and permits certain pharmacists and pharmacy interns, externs, and technicians to administer COVID-19 vaccines.

      The bill amends section 24 of P.L.2003, c.280 (C.45:14-63) to: 

      1) provide that a pharmacist is required to receive appropriate training to administer a prescription medication directly to a patient, but is no longer required to be certified to administer a prescription medication directly to a patient;

      2) permit a pharmacy technician to administer drugs to a patient 18 years of age or older under certain circumstances;

      3) permit an appropriately educated and qualified pharmacist, pharmacy intern, pharmacy extern, or pharmacy technician to administer an influenza vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine, or both to a patient who is five years of age or older; 

      4) in the case of a patient who is under 18 years of age, prohibit a pharmacy technician from administering a vaccine without the permission of the patient's parent or legal guardian; 

      5) remove certain restrictions concerning the administration of a vaccine to a patient who is under 10 years of age;

      6) permit an appropriately educated and qualified pharmacy intern, extern, or technician to administer immunizations to patients by injection or by other delivery method, provided that the pharmacy intern, extern, or technician is acting under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist; 

      7) provide that all doses of a vaccine administered to a patient by a pharmacist, pharmacy intern, pharmacy extern, or pharmacy technician are to be reported to the New Jersey Immunization Information System; and

      8) lower the age of the patient to whom a pharmacist, pharmacy intern, pharmacy extern, or pharmacy technician may administer an influenza vaccine from seven years old to five years old.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 1899 (1R) is identical to Senate Bill No. 1981 (1R), which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments clarify that the authority provided by the bill to administer related emergency medications to a patient 18 years of age or older specifically applies to medical emergency medications.

      The committee amendments clarify that the authority provided by the bill to administer drugs to a patient 18 years of age or older in immunization programs and certain programs sponsored by governmental agencies applies only to the medication authorized for administration under the program and related medical emergency medications.  Previously, this authority only applied to the administration of medication related to the immunization and necessary to respond to an emergency.

      The committee amendments clarify that appropriately educated and qualified pharmacists, pharmacy interns, pharmacy externs, and pharmacy technicians are authorized to administer certain immunizations, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, under the circumstances provided under the bill.

      The committee amendments revise the bill’s synopsis to reflect these changes.