By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Feb. 23 — A bill once aimed at letting pharmacists immunize children has been sent to the House Appropriations Committee.
“That means it’s been kept alive,” said Rep. Brenda Landwehr, chairwoman of the House Health and Human Committee, which held hearings on the House Bill 2097 late last month.
According to the rules governing the legislative processes, bills that do not pass their house of origin by the session’s midpoint are either put off to the next year’s session or referred to the budget, tax, calendar, or federal and state affairs committee for further deliberation.
Landwehr said she expects the House to vote on the bill next week.
The bill no longer covers childhood immunizations.
“We took that out,” Landwehr said. “It had been for kids (ages) five and older, but we didn’t think that was appropriate. It’s too young.”
As amended, the bill lets pharmacy students and interns vaccinate people who are 18 years or older.
Already, pharmacists are allowed to vaccinate customers who are at least 18 years old.
The state’s physicians lobbied against the bill, saying it was high-risk and would reduce the likelihood of children finding a “medical home” with a local doctor’s office.
“I don’t think parents would have bypassed the physicians,” Landwehr said. “I do think that nine out of the 10 shots that (pharmacists) end up giving will be flu shots. This expands their ability to do that.”
Pharmacists wanted the bill, saying it would expand access to health care.
“I’m disappointed,” said, David Schoech, pharmacist at Columbus Pharmacy in
Columbus
. “I can see maybe not going down to (ages) 5 or 6, but by the time kids are 12 or 13 and weigh 100 or 120 pounds, they’re nearly adults, therapeutically. You can give them their shots.”
As amended, the bill serves little purpose, Schoech said. “It’s useless,” he said.
Dave Ranney is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at
dranney@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 128.