State Board of Pharmacy - Prescriber-Pharmacist Agreements - Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders, the official text

WES MOORE, Governor                                 Ch. 54

Chapter 54

                   (Senate Bill 562)

AN ACT concerning

State Board of Pharmacy – Prescriber–Pharmacist Agreements – Treatment of
                                            Opioid Use Disorders

FOR the purpose of authorizing licensed certified midwives to enter into therapy
         management contracts; repealing a requirement that authorized prescribers submit
         prescriber–pharmacist agreements to the health occupations board that regulates
         the authorized prescriber; authorizing pharmacists, under certain circumstances, to
         enter into prescriber–pharmacist agreements that authorize the pharmacist to treat
         an opioid use disorder using controlled dangerous substances drug therapy;
         requiring that a protocol that authorizes controlled dangerous substances drug
         therapy require a pharmacist to request certain data from the Prescription Drug
         Monitoring Program before initiating or modifying a controlled dangerous
         substances therapy; and generally relating to prescriber–pharmacist agreements.

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
         Article – Health Occupations
         Section 12–6A–01(a)
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
         Article – Health Occupations
         Section 12–6A–01(b), 12–6A–03, 12–6A–04, and 12–6A–06
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

         SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

                   Article – Health Occupations

12–6A–01.

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

         (b) “Authorized prescriber” means a licensed physician, licensed podiatrist,
CERTIFIED MIDWIFE LICENSED UNDER TITLE 8, SUBTITLE 6D OF THIS ARTICLE, or
certified advanced practice nurse with prescriptive authority under § 8–508 of this article.

12–6A–03.

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Ch. 54  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

         (a) An authorized prescriber and a licensed pharmacist who wish to enter into
therapy management contracts shall have a prescriber–pharmacist agreement.

        (b) [(1) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, an
authorized prescriber who has entered into a prescriber–pharmacist agreement shall
submit to the health occupations board that regulates the authorized prescriber a copy of
the prescriber–pharmacist agreement and any subsequent modifications made to the
prescriber–pharmacist agreement or the protocols specified in the prescriber–pharmacist
agreement.

                           (ii) A health occupations board may enter into an agreement with
the Board of Pharmacy that requires authorized prescribers regulated by the health
occupations board to submit to the Board of Pharmacy documentation that otherwise would
be required to be submitted to the health occupations board under subparagraph (i) of this
paragraph.

                (2)] A licensed pharmacist who has entered into a prescriber–pharmacist
agreement shall submit to the Board of Pharmacy a copy of the prescriber–pharmacist
agreement and any subsequent modifications made to the prescriber–pharmacist
agreement or the protocols specified in the prescriber–pharmacist agreement.

12–6A–04.

        (A) [A] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, A pharmacist is
authorized to enter into a prescriber–pharmacist agreement if the pharmacist:

                  (1) Is a licensed pharmacist;

                  (2) Has a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree or equivalent training as established
in regulations adopted under this subtitle;

                  (3) Is approved by the Board to enter into a prescriber–pharmacist
agreement with an authorized prescriber in accordance with this subtitle; and

                  (4) Meets the requirements that are established by regulations adopted
under this subtitle.

        (B) A PHARMACIST MAY ENTER INTO A PRESCRIBER–PHARMACIST

AGREEMENT THAT AUTHORIZES A PHARMACIST TO TREAT AN OPIOID USE DISORDER
USING CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES DRUG THERAPY IF THE

PHARMACIST:

                (1) INDIVIDUALLY REGISTERS WITH THE FEDERAL DRUG
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY;

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WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 54

                (2) INDIVIDUALLY REGISTERS WITH THE OFFICE OF CONTROLLED
SUBSTANCES ADMINISTRATION;

                (3) COMPLETES ANY APPLICABLE TRAINING REQUIRED BY FEDERAL
OR STATE LAWS; AND

                (4) FOLLOWS A PROTOCOL THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF §
12–6A–06 OF THIS SUBTITLE.

12–6A–06.

         (a) A protocol under this subtitle:

                  (1) May authorize:

                           (i) For protocols by a licensed physician and licensed pharmacist,
the initiation of drug therapy under written, disease–state specific protocols;

                           (ii) The modification, continuation, and discontinuation of drug
therapy under written, disease–state specific protocols;

                           (iii) The ordering of laboratory tests; and

                           (iv) Other patient care management measures related to monitoring
or improving the outcomes of drug or device therapy; and

                  (2) May not authorize acts that exceed the scope of practice of the parties
to the therapy management contract.

         (b) A protocol shall prohibit the substitution of a chemically dissimilar drug
product by the pharmacist for the product prescribed by the authorized prescriber, unless
permitted in the therapy management contract.

        (C) A PROTOCOL THAT AUTHORIZES CONTROLLED DANGEROUS

SUBSTANCES DRUG THERAPY SHALL REQUIRE THE PHARMACIST TO REQUEST

RELEVANT DATA FROM THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING PROGRAM BEFORE

INITIATING OR MODIFYING A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES DRUG

THERAPY.

         SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2026.

Approved by the Governor, April 14, 2026.

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