Senate File 160 - Introduced SENATE FILE 160 BY SALMON , EVANS , J. TAYLOR , ZAUN , GUTH , GREEN , ALONS , DE WITT , ROWLEY , GARRETT , SWEENEY , and WESTRICH A BILL FOR An Act relating to the prescribing and dispensing authority of 1 practitioners. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1146XS (8) 90 pf/rh

S.F. 160 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 147.164 Restriction of prescribing 1 authority by board or employer. 2 1. Any board created under this chapter that licenses a 3 prescribing practitioner and any employer of a prescribing 4 practitioner shall not restrict the prescribing authority of 5 a prescribing practitioner during a public health disaster in 6 a way that acts as a deterrent for a prescribing practitioner 7 to use a medication or treatment in accordance with the 8 prescribing practitioner’s best professional judgment. 9 2. Any restriction by an employer of a prescribing 10 practitioner that is prohibited under subsection 1, whether 11 or not documented by the employer as part of a contract, 12 agreement, or employee handbook, by an amendment to any such 13 document, or by any other means, is unenforceable and shall not 14 be the basis for any disciplinary action by the employer. 15 3. For purposes of this section: 16 a. “Prescribing practitioner” means the same as defined in 17 section 147.162. 18 b. “Public health disaster” means the same as defined in 19 section 135.140. 20 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 148.6A Prescribing of ivermectin or 21 hydroxychloroquine —— no licensee discipline. 22 The prescribing of ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine by a 23 physician for the treatment of COVID-19 shall not constitute 24 grounds for licensee discipline. For the purposes of this 25 section, “COVID-19” means the same as defined in section 686D.2. 26 EXPLANATION 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 28 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 29 This bill relates to prescribing and dispensing authority 30 by practitioners. 31 The bill prohibits any health-related professional board 32 under Code chapter 147 (general provisions, health-related 33 professions) that licenses a prescribing practitioner and any 34 employer of a prescribing practitioner from restricting the 35 -1- LSB 1146XS (8) 90 pf/rh 1/ 2

S.F. 160 prescribing authority of a prescribing practitioner during a 1 public health disaster in a way that acts as a deterrent for 2 the practitioner to use a medication or treatment in accordance 3 with the practitioner’s best professional judgment. 4 The bill also provides that any restriction by an employer 5 of a prescribing practitioner that is prohibited under the 6 bill, whether or not documented by the employer as part of 7 a contract, agreement, or employee handbook, by an amendment 8 to any such document, or by any other means, is unenforceable 9 and shall not be the basis for any disciplinary action by the 10 employer. The bill defines “prescribing practitioner” and 11 “public health disaster” for the purposes of the bill. 12 The bill also provides that the prescribing of ivermectin or 13 hydroxychloroquine by a physician for the treatment of COVID-19 14 shall not be grounds for licensee discipline. 15 -2- LSB 1146XS (8) 90 pf/rh 2/ 2