Colorado Protocols
As a result of Senate Bill 16-135 and House Bill 20-1061, new opportunities exist for the expansion of pharmacy practice in Colorado. Significantly, the groundbreaking laws expand collaborative pharmacy practice and allow for the development of statewide drug therapy protocols to be carried out by pharmacists.
Three statewide protocols have emerged and been approved in the state of Colorado including self-administered HIV prevention medication, hormonal contraception and smoking cessation therapy. Under these statewide protocols, pharmacists with the appropriate required training may prescribe and dispense medications.
For further information, including educational training programs and tools, please visit the Resource Pages.
Protocol
- State Board of Pharmacy Rules and Regulations (see page 182)
Length of course:
90 minutes – interactive, online, with assessment questions
Background:
The Colorado legislature approved HB20-1061, which provides pharmacists the authority to prescribe and dispense medications to prevent HIV infection. The two strategies, are referred to as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and nPEP (non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis). Both have CDC guidelines, specifying which medications should be taken and for what duration. In order for pharmacists to prescribe and dispense these medications under the Statewide Protocol, they must complete the necessary training as outlined by Colorado State Board of Pharmacy rules.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the basis of HIV infection and risk of transmission
- Select an antiviral regimen for a patient with a non-occupational exposure to potential HIV infection
- Define recommended treatment options for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV
- Discuss how to best counsel a patient for PrEP and PEP therapies
- Demonstrate how to apply Colorado-specific rules for pharmacist-prescribed and dispensed PrEP and PEP regimens
Protocol
- State Board of Pharmacy Collaborative Pharmacy Practice & Statewide Protocols
- State Board of Pharmacy Rules
- Appendix A - Protocol for Prescribing Hormonal Contraceptive Patches and Oral Contraceptives
Educational Training
Comprehensive Contraceptive Education:
Colorado Senate Bill 16-135 created the infrastructure for the Colorado Boards of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Nursing to work collaboratively with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to create statewide protocols to address public health needs. The first such statewide protocol is self-administered contraception. In 2022, the protocol was further expanded to include depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera®) and the vaginal ring products.
The University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is honored to partner with Oregon State University to offer this training program that allows Colorado pharmacists to meet the requirements necessary to provide contraceptive care to women in our state. We are now the third state in the nation to allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives. The Colorado statute provides this per protocol.
Women in the United States have had access to highly effective hormonal contraception in the form of an oral pill for decades. However, they have always needed to see their doctor or women’s health provider in order to get a prescription for it, causing what many believe to be an unnecessary hurdle. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have issued a formal statement that self-administered hormonal contraception should be made more accessible by removing this barrier. This is because the benefit of preventing unintended pregnancies by improving access to hormonal contraception outweighs the small risks associated with serious adverse events.
While pharmacists are knowledgeable in being able to counsel women on the side effects and what to expect, before now they have never been in the role of starting or continuing a woman on any form of hormonal contraception. It is good to have a foundational knowledge on hormonal contraception, but prescribing it requires a deeper understanding of how to practice seeing patients and in making clinical decisions.
This training program has received significant support and guidance from several OBGYN members of ACOG, and is specifically designed to give pharmacists the tools needed to be confident and successful in prescribing and monitoring self-administered hormonal contraception.
Required Documents
- Standard Procedures Algorithm
- Self-screening Questionnaire
- Summary Chart U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use
- Pharmacist Referral and Visit Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Additional Resources
Educational Training
The University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has launched the “Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Education for the Colorado Pharmacist” training program, in partnership with the Oregon State University.
This training program allows Colorado pharmacists to meet the requirements necessary to provide smoking cessation care to eligible adults in our state. This training program will provide the educational resources to safely prescribe smoking cessation therapies. It includes background information (prevalence, burden of tobacco use, addiction and intervention strategies), comprehensive review of medication therapies (pharmacology, clinical approaches to treatment options, and crucial counseling points), practical and business considerations, and finally, Colorado-specific Protocol information to apply to your practice.