Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 2020 NO. 4 >

1.         A pharmacist’s application of guidelines or protocols previously established in a collaborative drug therapy agreement is statutorily authorized, even if it amounts to diagnosis of a patient’s condition.

2.         Under limited circumstances, a physician or physician assistant may enter into a collaborative drug treatment agreement that permits the diagnosis by a pharmacist of a patient’s condition.

3.         There is no statutory or administrative requirement that a collaborative drug treatment agreement call for direct contact between a physician or physician assistant and a patient.

4.         A pharmacist who diagnoses patients pursuant to a collaborative drug treatment agreement with a physician or a physician assistant does not commit an act of unlicensed practice of medicine under RCW 18.130.190 if the pharmacist acts within the scope of guidelines previously established under a collaborative drug treatment agreement