Healthcare (Medical Licensing)

SF 313 prevents Iowa licensing boards and employers from restricting pharmacists or healthcare practitioners (like doctors, nurses, or nurse practitioners) from using their professional judgment to prescribe, recommend, or dispense medications within their legal job description. It prohibits employers from enforcing policies - whether in contracts, handbooks, or other agreements - that discourage such decisions, making these restrictions unenforceable and ineligible for disciplinary action. The bill ensures pharmacists and practitioners cannot face license discipline for following their best professional judgment when using medications consistent with their legally defined scope of practice. This applies to all licensed healthcare providers authorized to prescribe drugs in Iowa, including pharmacists, physicians, and advanced practice nurses.

This bill creates a physician assistant licensure compact, allowing PAs licensed in one participating state to practice in other participating states without obtaining a new license. It directly affects physician assistants, patients in participating states, and military families (who can more easily maintain licensure when relocating). Key mechanisms include mutual recognition of licenses, requiring criminal background checks, and establishing a shared data system to track licenses and disciplinary actions. The compact ensures PAs must follow the laws of the state where the patient is located during care, while states retain authority to discipline licensees. This streamlines practice across state lines without changing existing licensing standards.