§ 6801. Definition of practice of pharmacy. 1. The practice of the profession of pharmacy is defined as the administering, preparing, compounding, preserving, or the dispensing of drugs, medicines and therapeutic devices on the basis of prescriptions or other legal authority, and collaborative drug therapy management in accordance with the provisions of section sixty-eight hundred one-a of this article.

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2. A licensed pharmacist may execute a non-patient specific regimen prescribed or ordered by a physician licensed in this state or nurse practitioner certified in this state, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner. When a licensed pharmacist administers an immunizing agent, he or she shall:

(a) report such administration by electronic transmission or facsimile to the patient's attending primary health care practitioner or practitioners, if any, and, to the extent practicable, make himself or herself available to discuss the outcome of such immunization, including any adverse reactions, with the attending primary health care practitioner, and to the statewide immunization registry or the citywide immunization registry, as established pursuant to and to the extent permitted by § 2168 of the public health law; and

(b) provide information to the patient or, where applicable, the person legally responsible for the patient, on the importance of having a primary health care practitioner, developed by the commissioner of health; and

(c) report such administration, absent of any individually identifiable health information, to the department of health in a manner required by the commissioner of health; and

(d) prior to administering the immunization, inform the patient or, where applicable, the person legally responsible for the patient, of the total cost of the immunization or immunizations, subtracting any health insurance subsidization, if applicable. In the case the immunization is not covered, the pharmacist must inform the patient or, where applicable, the person legally responsible for the patient, of the possibility that the immunization may be covered when administered by a primary care physician or practitioner; and

(e) administer the immunization or immunizations according to the most current recommendations by the advisory committee for immunization practices (ACIP), provided however, that a pharmacist may administer any immunization authorized under this section when specified by a patient specific order.

3. No pharmacist shall administer immunizing agents or injectable medications for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorder without receiving training satisfactory to the commissioner and the commissioner of health 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 agent or agents; record keeping of immunization and information; and handling emergencies, including anaphylaxis and needlesticks.

4. When administering an immunization in a pharmacy, the licensed pharmacist shall provide an area for the immunization that provides for a patient's privacy. The privacy area should include:

a. a clearly visible posting of the most current "Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule" published by the advisory committee for immunization practices (ACIP); and

(b) education materials on influenza vaccinations for children as determined by the commissioner and the commissioner of health.

5. A licensed pharmacist may execute a non-patient specific order, for dispensing up to a seven day starter pack of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis medications for the purpose of preventing human immunodeficiency virus infection, by a physician licensed in this state or nurse practitioner certified in this state, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of health following a potential human immunodeficiency virus exposure.

6. A licensed pharmacist may execute a non-patient-specific regimen of insulin and related supplies to an individual who has a valid prescription for insulin and related supplies which has since expired within the last twelve months. The valid prescription must have been prescribed or ordered by a physician licensed in this state or nurse practitioner certified in this state. Execution of a non-patient-specific regimen shall be on an emergency basis provided the pharmacist:

(a) first attempts to obtain an authorization from the prescriber of the patient-specific prescription and cannot obtain the authorization, and the prescriber does not object to dispensing to the patient under the non-patient-specific regimen;

(b) provides a refill of the patient-specific prescription and the quantity of that refill is in conformity with the directions for use under the patient-specific prescription, but limited to an amount not to exceed a thirty-day emergency supply; and

(c) notifies, within seventy-two hours of dispensing the refill or refills, the prescriber of the patient-specific prescription whose authorization could not be obtained, that an emergency prescription of insulin has been dispensed.

* 7. A licensed pharmacist is a qualified health care professional under § 571 of the public health law for the purposes of directing a limited service laboratory and ordering and administering COVID-19 and influenza tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), subject to certificate of waiver requirements established pursuant to the federal clinical laboratory improvement act of nineteen hundred eighty-eight.

* NB Repealed July 1, 2026

8. A licensed pharmacist within their lawful scope of practice may administer injectable medications and medications required for emergency treatment of anaphylaxis related to such administration, pursuant to section six thousand eight hundred two of this article, for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorder, as prescribed or ordered by a licensed prescriber, acting within their scope of practice in this state and in accordance with regulations, including but not limited to regulations promulgated by the commissioner in consultation with any other state agencies, as necessary.

9. a. A licensed pharmacist may execute a non-patient specific order for the dispensing of self-administered hormonal contraceptives prescribed or ordered by the commissioner of health, a physician licensed in this state or a nurse practitioner certified in this state pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner.

b. Prior to dispensing self-administered hormonal contraceptives to a patient, and at a minimum of every twelve months for each returning patient, the pharmacist shall:

(i) provide the patient with a self-screening risk assessment questionnaire, developed by the commissioner of health in consultation with the commissioner, to be reviewed by the pharmacist to identify any known risk factors and assist the patient's selection of an appropriate self-administered hormonal contraceptive; and

(ii) provide the patient with a fact sheet, developed by the commissioner of health, that includes but is not limited to, the clinical considerations and recommendations for use of the self-administered hormonal contraceptive, the appropriate method for using such hormonal contraceptive, information on the importance of follow-up health care, health care referral information, and the ability of the patient to opt out of practitioner reporting requirements.

c. No pharmacist shall dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives under this subdivision without receiving training satisfactory to the commissioner.

d. A pharmacist shall notify the patient's primary health care practitioner, unless the patient opts out of such notification, within seventy-two hours of dispensing a self-administered hormonal contraceptive, that such self-administered hormonal contraceptive has been dispensed. If the patient does not have a primary health care practitioner, or is unable to provide contact information for their primary health care practitioner, the pharmacist shall provide the patient with a written record of the contraceptives dispensed, and advise the patient to consult an appropriate health care practitioner.

e. Nothing in this subdivision shall prevent a pharmacist from refusing to dispense a non-patient specific order of self-administered hormonal contraceptive pursuant to this subdivision if, in their professional judgment, potential adverse effects, interactions or other therapeutic complications could endanger the health of the patient.