Dentists and podiatrists: clinical laboratories and vaccines.

Existing law provides for the certification and regulation of podiatrists by the Podiatric Medical Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Under existing law, the certificate to practice podiatric medicine authorizes the holder to practice podiatric medicine and defines "podiatric medicine" to mean the diagnosis, medical, surgical, mechanical, manipulative, and electrical treatment of the human foot, including the ankle and tendons that insert into the foot and the nonsurgical treatment of the muscles and tendons of the leg governing the functions of the foot. Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of persons engaged in the practice of dentistry by the Dental Board of California. Existing law defines dentistry as the diagnosis or treatment, by surgery or other method, of diseases and lesions and the correction of malpositions of the human teeth, alveolar process, gums, jaws, or associated structures, and provides that diagnosis or treatment may include all necessary related procedures as well as the use of drugs, anesthetic agents, and physical evaluation. Existing law provides that a person practices dentistry if the person performs various specified acts. Existing law also provides for the registration and regulation of registered dental hygienists by the Dental Hygiene Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. This bill would additionally authorize a dentist or podiatrist, if the dentist or podiatrist complies with specified requirements, to independently prescribe and administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration for persons 3 years of age or older, as specified. The bill would authorize the board to adopt regulations to implement these provisions, as provided. The bill would count vaccine training provided through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention toward the fulfillment of a podiatrist's continuing education requirements, and would count vaccine training provided through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the California Pharmacists Association toward the fulfillment of a dentist's or dental hygienist's continuing education requirements, as specified. Existing law provides for the licensure, registration, and regulation of clinical laboratories and various clinical laboratory personnel by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires a clinical laboratory test or examination classified as waived under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 to be performed under the overall operation and administration of a laboratory director, which is defined to include certain licensees. This bill would expand the definition of "laboratory director" to include a duly licensed dentist serving as the director of a laboratory that performs only authorized clinical laboratory tests, as specified. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1209 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 409 to be operative only if this bill and SB 409 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.