HB26-1336 Increases Access to Pharmacy Services
Summary
Colorado HB26-1336 proposes to mandate health benefit plans providing hospital, surgical, or medical expense insurance to cover health-care services provided by pharmacists within their scope of practice. The bill prohibits discrimination against pharmacists based on license type for participation, referral, reimbursement, or network membership. It also expands the definition of pharmacy practice to include independent prescriptive authority for non-controlled substances for patients under 12 with minor, self-limiting conditions and adds a definition for final product verification by pharmacy technicians.
“If certain conditions are met, the bill requires health benefit plans that provide hospital, surgical, or medical expense insurance to provide coverage for health-care services provided by a pharmacist that are within the pharmacist's scope of practice.”
Health benefit plans and pharmacy benefit managers operating in Colorado should review current provider participation terms and reimbursement policies for pharmacists against the proposed anti-discrimination provisions. Pharmacies intending to implement final product verification programs will need to develop a continuous quality assessment system and a written plan documenting how pharmacist hours will be maintained for direct patient care before implementing technician-led verification.
What changed
The bill proposes multiple substantive changes to Colorado pharmacy law: requiring health benefit plans to reimburse pharmacist services on par with other providers, defining final product verification for technician-performed dispensing, and expanding independent prescriptive authority for pharmacists to treat patients under 12 for minor conditions. Health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers should monitor this legislation as it would prohibit license-based discrimination in network participation and reimbursement. Pharmacies implementing final product verification programs would need a quality assessment system and a pharmacist hours plan for direct patient care.
Archived snapshot
Apr 21, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
HB26-1336
Increase Access to Pharmacy Services
| Type | Bill |
|---|---|
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Health Care & Health Insurance Professions & Occupations |
Concerning measures to increase access to pharmacy services.
Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:
Under current law, a pharmacist may receive reimbursement under a health benefit plan and under the medical assistance program (medicaid) for health-care services provided pursuant to a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement. If certain conditions are met, the bill requires health benefit plans that provide hospital, surgical, or medical expense insurance to provide coverage for health-care services provided by a pharmacist that are within the pharmacist's scope of practice. Similarly, under medicaid, the bill authorizes reimbursement for services that are within a pharmacist's scope of practice and not duplicative of other pharmacist services or programs reimbursed by medicaid.
Further, solely on the basis of the type of license or certification, a health benefit plan or health insurance carrier shall not discriminate against a pharmacist who is acting within the scope of the pharmacist's license or certification under state law, with respect to participation, referral, reimbursement of covered services, or indemnification, or prohibit a pharmacist from membership in a provider's network.
The bill makes changes to the definitions in the pharmacy practice statutes to include a definition for 'final product verification', which is defined as a physical verification process for drug, device, or product orders filled through a pharmacy's electronic system after initial fill by a technician or other automated technology. Final product verification may be delegated by a supervising pharmacist to a certified pharmacy technician or pharmacy intern. The process requires a pharmacy or other outlet to have a continuous quality assessment system in place to periodically verify the accuracy of the final drug, device, or product. A pharmacy intending to implement a final product verification program shall create a plan for final product verification, including how pharmacists' hours will be maintained to provide direct patient care. The state board of pharmacy is required to adopt rules relating to final product verification.
Under current law, a pharmacist has independent prescriptive authority for drugs that are not controlled substances, drug categories, or devices that are prescribed to patients who are at least 12 years old, if certain conditions are met. The bill also adds to the definition of the 'practice of pharmacy' to include independent prescriptive authority for drugs that are not controlled substances, drug categories, or devices that are prescribed to patients younger than 12 years old for conditions that do not require a new diagnosis, that are minor and self-limiting, or that have a test that guides diagnosis and are not medications that may only be prescribed pursuant to a certified education program and a limited distribution network.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Prime Sponsors
Mandy Lindsay
Representative
Ty Winter
Senator
Rod Pelton
Senator
Lisa Cutter
Committees
House
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Status
Under Consideration
Introduced
Under Consideration
Upcoming Schedule
1 meeting
Apr 21
House Third Reading of Bills - Final Passage
9:00 AM House Chamber
Related Documents & Information
| Date | Version | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 04/20/2026 | Engrossed | |
| 03/17/2026 | Introduced |
| Date | Version | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 04/01/2026 | PA1 |
| Date | Version | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 03/26/2026 | Initial Fiscal Note |
| Activity | Vote | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment C) to L.001 (Attachment B). | The motion failed on a vote of 4-9. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B). | The motion passed on a vote of 12-1. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.004 (Attachment D). | The motion failed on a vote of 3-10. | Vote summary |
| Refer House Bill 26-1336, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | The motion passed on a vote of 10-3. | Vote summary |
| Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF | |
| Date | Amendment Number | Committee/ Floor Hearing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 04/20/2026 | L.007 | Second Reading |
| 04/20/2026 | L.005 | Second Reading |
| 03/31/2026 | L.004 | HOU Health & Human Services |
| 03/31/2026 | L.001 | HOU Health & Human Services |
| 03/31/2026 | L.002 | HOU Health & Human Services |
- Amendments passed in committee are not incorporated into the measure unless adopted by the full House or Senate.
** The status of Second Reading amendments may be subsequently affected by the adoption of an amendment to the Committee of the Whole Report. Refer to the House or Senate Journal for additional information.
| Date | Location | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 04/20/2026 | House | House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor |
| 04/03/2026 | House | House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments |
| 03/31/2026 | House | House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole |
| 03/17/2026 | House | Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services |
Prime Sponsor
Rep. M. Lindsay | Rep. T. Winter
Sen. L. Cutter | Sen. R. Pelton
Sponsor
(None) Co-Sponsor
(None)
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