Sec. 157.002. GENERAL DELEGATION OF ADMINISTRATION AND PROVISION OF DANGEROUS DRUGS

(a) In this section:

(1) "Administering" means the direct application of a drug to the body of a patient by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or any other means.

(2) "Provision" means the supply of one or more unit doses of a drug, medicine, or dangerous drug.

(b) A physician may delegate to any qualified and properly trained person acting under the physician's supervision the act of administering or providing dangerous drugs in the physician's office, as ordered by the physician, that are used or required to meet the immediate needs of the physician's patients. The administration or provision of the dangerous drugs must be performed in compliance with laws relating to the practice of medicine and state and federal laws relating to those dangerous drugs.

(c) A physician may also delegate to any qualified and properly trained person acting under the physician's supervision the act of administering or providing dangerous drugs through a facility licensed by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, as ordered by the physician, that are used or required to meet the immediate needs of the physician's patients. The administration of those dangerous drugs must be in compliance with laws relating to the practice of medicine, professional nursing, and pharmacy and state and federal drug laws. The provision of those dangerous drugs must be in compliance with:

(1) laws relating to the practice of medicine, professional nursing, and pharmacy;

(2) state and federal drug laws; and

(3) rules adopted by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.

(d) In the provision of services and the administration of therapy by public health departments, as officially prescribed by the Texas Department of Health for the prevention or treatment of specific communicable diseases or health conditions for which the Texas Department of Health is responsible for control under state law, a physician may delegate to any qualified and properly trained person acting under the physician's supervision the act of administering or providing dangerous drugs, as ordered by the physician, that are used or required to meet the needs of the patients. The provision of those dangerous drugs must be in compliance with laws relating to the practice of medicine, professional nursing, and pharmacy. An order for the prevention or treatment of a specific communicable disease or health condition for which the Texas Department of Health is responsible for control under state law may not be inconsistent with this chapter and may not be used to perform an act or duty that requires the exercise of independent medical judgment.

(e) The administration or provision of the drugs may be delegated through a physician's order, a standing medical order, a standing delegation order, or another order defined by the board.

(f) Subsections (b) and (c) do not authorize a physician or a person acting under the supervision of a physician to keep a pharmacy, advertised or otherwise, for the retail sale of dangerous drugs, other than as authorized under Section 158.003, without complying with the applicable laws relating to the dangerous drugs.

(g) A drug or medicine provided under Subsection (b) or (c) must be supplied in a suitable container labeled in compliance with applicable drug laws. A qualified and trained person, acting under the supervision of a physician, may specify at the time of the provision of the drug the inclusion on the container of the date of the provision and the patient's name and address.

Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.