Physicians may delegate administering or providing dangerous drugs to qualified, trained people under supervision, but must follow applicable medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and drug laws; the section also does not authorize running a retail pharmacy for dangerous drugs outside Section 158.003.
Sec. 563.051. GENERAL DELEGATION OF ADMINISTRATION AND PROVISION OF DANGEROUS DRUGS. (a) 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. (b) 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 board, as ordered by the physician, that are used or required to meet the 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 board. (c) 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 Texas State Board of Medical Examiners. (d) This section does 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. (e) A practitioner may designate a licensed vocational nurse or a person having education equivalent to or greater than that required for a licensed vocational nurse to communicate the prescriptions of an advanced practice nurse or physician assistant authorized by the practitioner to sign prescription drug orders under Subchapter B, Chapter 157. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 14.308(a), eff. Sept. 1, 2001.