The following information is reported from our Government Affairs Committee following the most recent State Education Department Respiratory Therapy Board meeting in NYC on September 22.

  • Legislators and Gov. Andrew Cuomo appear to have reached an agreement on a bill that expands the scope of practice for advanced home health aides, a measure that has been pushed for years by the AARP, nurses and nursing home advocates. The bill goes into effect April 2018.
  • Position on Xolair injections: A respiratory therapist may administer a subcutaneous injection of an antibody drug (such as omalizumab), as part of a respiratory care procedure, pursuant to a valid order. The ordered antibody medication should be approved by the FDA for use in treating a respiratory condition (such as asthma). If administered in a physician’s office or outpatient setting, emergency medication and supplies should be immediately available to treat any adverse reaction. A physician or midlevel provider should be on premises and immediately available (within 3 minutes) to personally perform an assessment or intervention in case of an adverse reaction.
  • Position on spirometry at public health events: Spirometry is considered screening event, much like blood pressure and is within our scope of practice to perform in this setting.

SED is exploring new ways to improve monitoring and screening of licensed professionals with fingerprinting and background checks.

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