152B.2  Respiratory care as a practice defined.
  1.  a.  “Respiratory care as a practice” means a health care profession, under medical direction, employed in the therapy, management, rehabilitation, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities which affect the pulmonary system and associated aspects of cardiopulmonary and other systems’ functions, and includes all of the following:
  (1)  Direct and indirect pulmonary care services that are safe and of comfort, aseptic, preventative, and restorative to the patient.
  (2)  Direct and indirect respiratory care services including but not limited to the administration of pharmacological and diagnostic and therapeutic agents related to respiratory care procedures necessary to implement a treatment, disease prevention, pulmonary rehabilitative, or diagnostic regimen prescribed by a licensed physician or surgeon or a qualified health care professional prescriber.
  (3)  Observation and monitoring of signs and symptoms, general behavior, reactions, general physical response to respiratory care treatment and diagnostic testing.
  (4)  Determination of whether the signs, symptoms, behavior, reactions, or general response exhibit abnormal characteristics.
  (5)  Implementation based on observed abnormalities, of appropriate reporting, referral, or respiratory care protocols or changes in treatment regimen.
  b.  “Respiratory care as a practice” does not include the delivery, assembly, setup, testing, or demonstration of respiratory care equipment in the home upon the order of a licensed physician or surgeon or a qualified health care professional prescriber. As used in this paragraph, “demonstration” does not include the actual teaching, administration, or performance of the respiratory care procedures.
  2.  “Respiratory care protocols” as used in this section means policies and procedures developed by an organized health care system through consultation, when appropriate, with administrators, licensed physicians and surgeons, qualified health care professional prescribers, licensed registered nurses, licensed physical therapists, licensed respiratory care practitioners, and other licensed health care practitioners.
85 Acts, ch 151, §2

90 Acts, ch 1193, §2

97 Acts, ch 68, §1
; 2012 Acts, ch 1041, §2 – 4
; 2012 Acts, ch 1138, §51
; 2013 Acts, ch 90, §31