Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) recently signed Senate Bill 219 into law. It became Public Act 97 of 2023, which grants prescriptive authority for pharmacists to order and administer ACIP approved and CDC recommended vaccines; and order and administer laboratory tests for minor health conditions. This makes Michigan the 15th state to grant the PREP authorities.

Michigan state regulators are working to make becoming a pharmacist easier by issuing a new set of controversial rules. Those rules from the Michigan Board of Pharmacists would remove requirements for a national competency exam, called the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam. Regulators hope removing the requirement would help solve short staffing concerns at pharmacies all over the state, but opponents say the 2.5-hour, 120-question exam is a necessity. The removal of the exam was submitted to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules in Legislature last week. It's unclear when it will be discussed at this time. If the state were to remove the exam, Michigan would join Idaho as the only states to get rid of the requirement.

The Michigan State Senate Health Committee is currently considering a new bill, Senate Bill 219, that would allow pharmacists to administer FDA-approved vaccines to individuals 2.5 years and older and to initiate and administer testing and treatment for strep, flu and COVID-19. Michigan pharmacists have been administering vaccines since October 2020 when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance under the COVID-19 PREP Act declaration to permit qualified pharmacy technicians under a pharmacist’s supervision to administer FDA-approved vaccines to individuals 3 and older. This bill would keep these new authorities in place as the PREP Act declaration for COVID-19 medical countermeasures expires in 2024.

On September 19, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs issued a new interpretation of the Michigan Public Health Code that allows pharmacies to prescribe and dispense birth control, including oral contraceptives, the patch, and the ring. Michigan joins 20 other U.S. states and the District of Columbia with laws that allow pharmacist-prescribed birth control. Pharmacists will be able to opt into the program, and LARA is to provide a template agreement to make the delegation process easier.

On February 23, 2022, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a series of three bills to regulate PBMs in the state. Among other things, the three pieces of legislation will prevent spread pricing, prohibit gag clauses, and require PBMs to obtain licenses and file transparency reports with state officials. These laws will allow consumers to get information on the “backend cost and profits of the medications they are prescribed” and enable pharmacies to get paid fairly. The Michigan law comes less than a week after the FTC deadlocked on whether to initiate a study on PBM contracting practices.

Governor Whitman recently granted pharmacists the authority to dispense insulin under certain emergency circumstances. Under Public Act 36 of 2021 (formerly SB 155), pharmacists can provide patients with a 30-day supply of insulin if the individual has a preexisting relationship with the pharmacy and the pharmacy is not able to get in touch with their primary care provider. Public Act 36 is currently in effect.

A new Michigan law will grant pharmacy professionals with more rights and responsibilities. Under SB 920, pharmacists will be able to dispense emergency60-day refills on prescription drugs, dispense and administer COVID-19 treatments, authorize drug substitutions in the case of shortages, temporarily operate in a location not designated on the pharmacy license, and oversee staff remotely. By giving pharmacists more responsibilities, SB 920 encourages the move towards provider status.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law Public Acts 124, 135, and 136 to require healthcare providers to issue all prescriptions electronically. The legislation aims to provide a consistent, secure way to prescribe controlled substances in the state, while also preventing substance abuse. It goes into effect on October 1, 2021.