New Training Requirements Enacted for Phlebotomists

October 10, 2019

MEMORANDUM

New Training Requirements Enacted for Phlebotomists     

Legislation recently enacted into law will require certain initial and ongoing training for phlebotomists in the hospital setting. PA 101-0542, effective Jan. 1, 2020, requires the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) to make available training materials that ensure all phlebotomists are trained in the most current blood drawing methods for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These training materials are to be used by hospitals upon the hiring of a phlebotomist and as part of any ongoing training to maintain competencies or certifications for those phlebotomists.

Through IHA’s advocacy efforts, more onerous and vague requirements were removed from the final legislation, including hospitals developing their own training materials and being required to maintain certain blood drawing equipment for “finger-pricking” and “hemoglobin testing.”