The bill amends the "Pharmacies" chapter of the General Laws to allow licensed pharmacists to prescribe and dispense FDA-approved tobacco cessation drug therapies to eligible patients. To qualify, patients must be at least eighteen years old or meet the minimum age per FDA guidance, be willing to participate in a structured tobacco cessation program, and be educated on nicotine toxicity and medication effects. Pharmacists are required to complete approved tobacco cessation education, adhere to updated care standards, refer high-risk patients to other healthcare providers, and notify the patient's primary care provider of the screening and follow-up care within five business days. The bill also mandates that health insurance companies and Medicaid in Rhode Island cover these tobacco cessation drug therapies and pharmacist services within their scope of practice, effective for contracts and plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025.

The bill specifies that health insurance plans must cover pharmacist-provided services if they fall within the pharmacist's legal scope of practice and would be covered if performed by a physician or other healthcare provider. It prohibits nonprofit medical service corporations from requiring supervision or referral by another healthcare provider for pharmacist reimbursement and prevents payment for services duplicated by a pharmacist and another provider. Health plans are required to include an adequate number of pharmacists in their networks, and coverage for mandated benefits must be provided even outside the insurer's network if not available within it. The bill also includes a resolution for the Rhode Island Medicaid Reform Act of 2008 to allow pharmacists to prescribe tobacco cessation therapies, effective July 1, 2024. The act's Section 1 will take effect on January 1, 2025, while Sections 2 through 6 will take effect upon passage.