Cal. BPC § 2860.5
This is the official text of Cal. BPC § 2860.5, part of California’s Business and Professions Code — regulates business practices and professional/occupational licensing - contractors, doctors, cosmetologists, real estate agents, and dozens of other licensed professions.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
(a) Subject to subdivision (b), a licensed vocational nurse when directed by a licensed physician and surgeon or naturopathic doctor may do all of the following:
(1) Administer medications by hypodermic injection.
(2) Withdraw blood from a patient, if the licensed vocational nurse has been instructed by a licensed physician and surgeon and has demonstrated competence to the licensed physician and surgeon in the proper procedure to be employed when withdrawing blood, or has satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of instruction approved by the board, or has demonstrated competence to the satisfaction of the board.
(3) Start and superimpose intravenous fluids if all of the following additional conditions are satisfied:
(A) The licensed vocational nurse has satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of instruction approved by the board or has demonstrated competence to the satisfaction of the board.
(B) The procedure is performed in an organized health care system in accordance with the written standardized procedures adopted by the organized health care system as formulated by a committee which includes representatives of the medical, nursing, and administrative staffs. “Organized health care system,” as used in this section, includes facilities licensed pursuant to Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, clinics, home health agencies, physician’s offices, naturopathic doctor’s offices, and public or community health services. Standardized procedures so adopted will be reproduced in writing and made available to total medical and nursing staffs.
(C) If the licensed vocational nurse is directed by a naturopathic doctor, the naturopathic doctor is qualified to administer intravenous therapy under Section 3640.8.
(b) A licensed vocational nurse acting solely under the direction of a naturopathic doctor shall only perform the functions specified in this section that are within the scope of authorized activities for a licensed naturopathic doctor under Section 3640.
(c) The changes made to this section by the act adding this subdivision do not authorize a licensed vocational nurse acting under the direction of a naturopathic doctor to perform any function outside the existing scope of practice of a licensed vocational nurse or a naturopathic doctor.
(1) Administer medications by hypodermic injection.
(2) Withdraw blood from a patient, if the licensed vocational nurse has been instructed by a licensed physician and surgeon and has demonstrated competence to the licensed physician and surgeon in the proper procedure to be employed when withdrawing blood, or has satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of instruction approved by the board, or has demonstrated competence to the satisfaction of the board.
(3) Start and superimpose intravenous fluids if all of the following additional conditions are satisfied:
(A) The licensed vocational nurse has satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of instruction approved by the board or has demonstrated competence to the satisfaction of the board.
(B) The procedure is performed in an organized health care system in accordance with the written standardized procedures adopted by the organized health care system as formulated by a committee which includes representatives of the medical, nursing, and administrative staffs. “Organized health care system,” as used in this section, includes facilities licensed pursuant to Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, clinics, home health agencies, physician’s offices, naturopathic doctor’s offices, and public or community health services. Standardized procedures so adopted will be reproduced in writing and made available to total medical and nursing staffs.
(C) If the licensed vocational nurse is directed by a naturopathic doctor, the naturopathic doctor is qualified to administer intravenous therapy under Section 3640.8.
(b) A licensed vocational nurse acting solely under the direction of a naturopathic doctor shall only perform the functions specified in this section that are within the scope of authorized activities for a licensed naturopathic doctor under Section 3640.
(c) The changes made to this section by the act adding this subdivision do not authorize a licensed vocational nurse acting under the direction of a naturopathic doctor to perform any function outside the existing scope of practice of a licensed vocational nurse or a naturopathic doctor.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in California?
Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.