Secondary Wholesalers Win Court Order Extending Stay on PDMA Pedigree Requirement A decision December 4 by United States District Court Judge Joanna Seybert in New York thwarted the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) plan to lift the stay on pedigree...

Published in the December 2006 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Being a pharmacist today can be a very rewarding career. Often pharmacists are the most accessible health care professionals, and they possess unique knowledge of both health conditions and medications...

Published in the December 2006 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The August 28-29, 2006 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy meeting was a busy meeting. Five regulations were modified during this meeting. A brief summary of each regulation change is...

Published in the December 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program (IBAPP) is offering continuing education (CE) opportunities for pharmacists and all of the health care workforce of Idaho, as part of a groundbreaking,...

Published in the December 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter 54-1733. VALIDITY OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG ORDERS. (1) A Prescription or drug order for a legend drug is not valid unless it is issued for a legitimate medical purpose arising from...

NABP Wins CMS Approval to Accredit Suppliers of Durable Medical EquipmentNABP received approval on November 22, 2006, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to become an accrediting organization for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) received approval on November 22, 2006, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to become an accrediting organization for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS)....

FDA Releases CPG and Q&A on Implementation of PDMA Pedigree RuleFood and Drug Administration on November 13 released a compliance policy guide (CPG) to clarify its strategy for prioritizing enforcement of pedigree requirements outlined in the Prescription Drug Marketing Act...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) has launched its redesigned Web site, which features improved navigation on visually appealing and clutter-free pages. The site enhancements make it easier for members and visitors to access information such as the...

Thomson Corporation to Divest Prometric, NAPLEX/MPJE Test VendorRecently, The Thomson Corporation -- the parent company of Prometric, which provides examination administration services for the NAPLEX and MPJE -- announced that it is planning to divest the Thomson Learning division, of...

Published in the November 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Effective August 28, 2006, legend pseudoephedrine-containing products are no longer controlled substances (CS) in Missouri. The annual inventory of these products is no longer required. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants...

DEA Solicits Comments on Regulations to Implement New Pseudoephedrine Restrictions The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is soliciting comments on its interim final regulation, published in the Federal Register on September 26, 2006, to implement elements of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic...

NABP Seeks CMS Approval to Accredit DMEPOS-Pharmacy Suppliers NABP is seeking approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to become an accrediting organization for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS). Submitted September 29,...

Reprinted from the October 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Board staff are frequently asked whether or not, and under what circumstances, a physician may self-prescribe, prescribe for family members, or prescribe after retirement. The North Carolina Medical Board...

Reprinted from the October 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Item 2119 in the July 2006 Newsletter suggested that North Carolina Medicaid auditors were enforcing requirements of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number for non-controlled prescriptions for purposes of...

Reprinted from the October 2006 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. By Bill Sybrant, Board Inspector A completed on-site inspection is not a guaranteed stamp of approval that a site is 100% compliant. During routine inspection, which can last anywhere from...

Published in the October 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter A question we frequently receive: In an emergency, can a pharmacist dispense a Schedule II substance with oral authorization from the prescriber? The general rule for Schedule II CS...

Reprinted from the October 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. A regulation of the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners permits practitioners to exceed the normal 120 dosage unit or 30-day supply limit (whichever is shorter) when prescribing Schedule...

Published in the October 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter If you receive a prescription and, after reasonable inquiry, suspect the prescription is forged, altered, fraudulently misrepresented (eg, false name), or the prescription transaction is not in accordance...

Published in the October 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy works closely with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and South Dakota Department of Health, Health and Medical Services Division to prevent diversion...

Reprinted from the October 2006 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The following is a summary of the new rules that went into effect on July 1, 2006. For a complete listing, visit the Board of Pharmacy Web site www.pharmacy.mt.gov. Registration...

Published in the October 2006 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter OAC 535:25-3-7 requires that the new owner of a pharmacy obtain a new pharmacy license if a pharmacy changes ownership. A change of ownership occurs when: the original owner(s)...

Published in the October 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter How are you doing with technology today? Electronic prescription issues seem to be on everybody’s agenda. The federal government is actively promoting electronic prescription system standards through the Medicare...

Published in the October 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Administrative Rule of South Dakota (ARSD) 20:51:16 addresses rules that every pharmacist should follow when practicing pharmacy. ARSD 20:51:16:03 addresses the pharmacist’s relation to the public; these rules...

Published in the October 2006 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Pseudoephedrine (PSE) Training: As of September 30, 2006, retailers must train their employees on the new PSE restrictions using Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) materials. Go to www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/meth/trg_retail_081106.pdf. Reporting PSE...

NABP's Executive Director Participates in Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) 2006 Policy Conference NABP Executive Director Carmen A. Catizone, MS, RPh, DPh, addressed pedigrees during a panel discussion at the GPhA 2006 Annual Policy Conference, held in Washington, DC on September...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is pleased to announce its new two-day format for the Fall Educational Conference (FEC) where attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 10 hours of continuing education (CE) as well...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is pleased to provide attendees with the opportunity to hear the renowned J. Lyle Bootman, PhD, distinguished dean and professor at the University of Arizona (UA) College of Pharmacy, discuss the challenges...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP® ) is pleased to provide attendees with the opportunity to hear Charles D. Hepler, PhD, eminent professor emeritus for the University of Florida College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacy Health Care Administration,...

Federal Court Says Compounded Drugs Are Not New Drugs On August 30, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (5th Circuit) issued an order in the case of Medical Center Pharmacy, et al v Gonzalez, et...

Published in the September 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter After much discussion between the Idaho Board of Pharmacy and the Idaho Pharmacists Association, the following changes were made to Rule 464 concerning the filling of controlled substance (CS) prescriptions....

FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Access for Plan B for Women 18 and Older, Remains Prescription Only for those 17 and Under On August 24, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced approval of Plan B, commonly referred to as emergency contraception...

Published in the August 2006 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On March 9, 2006, President George W. Bush signed legislation enacting the USA PATRIOT Act, Title VII of which is the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005. This federal law...

Published in the August 2006 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter At the time of writing this Newsletter, the Board’s goal was to have the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) program (the prescription monitoring program or PMP) up and...

Published in the August 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter An issue that periodically surfaces deals with the security of drug inventories. Some pharmacies are using inventory crews and cleaning crews in the pharmacy. The Board has reports of situations...

Published in the August 2006 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Frequently, pharmacists or patients call with questions about substitution on a prescription. A common misconception is that the “generic” must be a product with no brand name attached to...

Published in the August 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Board staff has been fielding more questions about the legality of pharmacies acting as fulfillment centers for Internet businesses that are attempting to provide prescription drugs to consumers. Pharmacists who...

Published in the August 2006 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has recently published several items that should be of interest to health care practitioners around the country. These items may all be found on the...

Published in the July 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The question of whether a practice is compounding or manufacturing is best answered by whether or not you are preparing a medication pursuant to a legal prescription for...

Published in the July 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Your assistance is requested in helping to avoid dispensing errors. The following products – Topamax®, Tegretol®-XR, Tegretol, and Toprol-XL® – have been involved in medication mix-ups: Toprol-XL (metoprolol...

Published in the July 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board receives many calls about the administration and dispensing of methadone and Suboxone® (buprenorphine/naloxone). Methadone may be used for the treatment of pain and any pharmacy may dispense...

Reprinted from the July 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Health Care Professional Responsibility and Reporting Enhancement Act requires a health care professional to promptly notify the Division of Consumer Affairs or Board if he or she is...

Reprinted from the July 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) grants a waiver to qualifying physicians (doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy) allowing them to treat opioid-addiction with certain...

Reprinted from the July 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. NJSA 45:14-68 and NJAC 13:39-7.19 require that all pharmacies maintain a Patient Profile Record System (PPRS) to enable the dispensing pharmacist to identify previously dispensed medication at the time...

Reprinted from the July 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Electronic prescribing is an increasing fact of life in pharmacy practice today. Many pharmacists are confused, though, about whether or not and under what circumstances e-prescribing is permissible for...

Reprinted from the July 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board has received several complaints that Medicare Part D payors are refusing to reimburse pharmacists for dispensing one particular generic version of a Narrow Therapeutic Index (NTI) drug...

Reprinted from the July 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board reminds pharmacist-managers that they bear personal responsibility to ensure that all staff pharmacists employed at your site are currently licensed by the Board and that all technicians...

Reprinted from the July 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Board staff has received several recent inquiries about the need for a prescriber’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number on a prescription for a non-controlled substance. NCGS §134.1 requires that...

Reprinted from the July 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. An amendment to Rule .2502 permitting “temporary” pharmacist managers took effect on April 1, 2006. This amendment was strongly supported by community pharmacists, who are constantly dealing with the...

Published in the July 2006 Nebraska Board of Pharmacy Newsletter A pharmacist-in-charge (PIC) is designated on a pharmacy license as the person responsible for the practice of pharmacy in that pharmacy. A checklist of specific PIC responsibilities was developed by...

Published in the July 2006 Nebraska Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Immediately upon discovery of a theft or significant loss of CS, a pharmacy must contact the nearest Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field office by telephone, fax, or brief written message...

Published in the July 2006 Nebraska Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Every pharmacist should be aware of the regulations that govern the Mandatory Reporting by health care professionals. The Unicameral in 1994 passed LB 1223, the Mandatory Reporting Statute, in hopes...

Published in the July 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter As you know, the South Dakota Legislature passed legislation that went into effect July 1, 2006. The South Dakota law prohibits the sale or purchase of more than...

Published in the July 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter During the 2006 South Dakota Legislative Session, new language was approved in South Dakota Codified Laws (SDCL) 36-9A-12, 39-9A-13, and 36-4A-22 removing the 48 hour time limit for...

Reprinted from the July 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. On May 4, 2006, the Board’s new regulation regarding when and how a pharmacist may refuse to fill a prescription became effective. Under the new regulation, a pharmacist may...

Reprinted from the July 2006 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The federal Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 was signed into law on March 9, 2006. Parts of this law are at odds with a state law enacted by the...

Reprinted from the July 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board office often receives calls regarding what can be changed on a Schedule II prescription. To clarify, after consulting with the prescribing practitioner (you must speak directly to...

Reprinted from the July 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Occasionally a pharmacist will be asked to fill or refill a prescription that was written by a physician who has since passed away, retired, or moved out of the...

Reprinted from the July 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. As part of the renewal of the USA Patriot Act, the federal government enacted nationwide restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine designed to curtail the production...

Published in the July 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Recent legislation has expanded the definition of a “legible prescription” in Revised Code of Washington 69.41.010. This definition requires all prescriptions to be hand printed, typewritten, or electronically generated....

Published in the July 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On March 6, 2006, the USA Patriot Act reauthorization bill was enacted. This bill included new federal requirements intended to combat the production and distribution of methamphetamine. The Board...

Published in the July 2006 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Pharmacists: Please remember that when changing the pharmacy manager, a controlled drug inventory must be taken and sent to the Board within ten (10) days. Also, please include the...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is pleased to announce that the launch of its Pharmacy Authenticated Licensure Service™ (PALS™) program will provide credible licensure authentication services of pharmacists and online pharmacies to the boards of pharmacy...

It is with great sadness that we communicate the passing of Fred T. Mahaffey, RPh, PharmD(Hon), executive director emeritus of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP® ), on June 19, 2006, at the age of 82. His contributions...

The second meeting of the 2005-2006 Task Force on Telepharmacy and the Implementation of the Medicare Drug Benefit Medication Therapy Management Provisions took place May 18-19, 2006. Task Force members reviewed their charge and accepted it as follows: The Task Force...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy®(NABP® ) is pleased to announce that Paramus, NJ-based Saddle River Marketing Concepts has earned accreditation under NABP’s Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors™ (VAWD™ ) program. The accreditation of Saddle River Marketing Concepts’ distribution facility represents...

Published in the June 2006 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter There have been a number of recent inquiries and some confusion regarding the validity of faxing controlled substance (CS) prescriptions from a practitioner’s office to a pharmacy. The faxing...

Published in the June 2006 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Pharmacy Technician Registration Bill (Senate Bill [SB] 110 sponsored by Senator Richard L. Roeding) was passed by a Senate committee and went to the Floor of the Senate, passed...

Published in the June 2006 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The 2006 legislative session instituted several changes to the Kansas Pharmacy Act. House Bill (HB) 2830 amended existing pharmacy law regarding the registration of pharmacy technicians to require technicians...

Published in the June 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter There is still confusion surrounding medisets and similar delivery systems that are being labeled by the pharmacist for use in assisted living and residential care facilities or for private individuals....

Published in the June 2006 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter In this age of substance abuse, there are a multitude of compounds being consumed by various populations. No longer are we only concerned about “street drugs” and access to prescription...

Published in the June 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter HB 611 adds language that further clarifies what constitutes the validity of a prescription drug order. 54-1733. Validity Of Prescription Drug Orders 1. A prescription or drug order for a...

Published in the June 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter House Bill No. 530 addressed the sale of pseudoephedrine. 37-3301. DEFINITIONS. As used in this chapter: 1. “Pseudoephedrine product” means any compound, mixture or preparation containing any detectable quantity of...

Published in the June 2006 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. There have been a number of recent inquiries and some confusion regarding the validity of faxing controlled substance (CS) prescriptions from a practitioner’s office to a pharmacy. The faxing...

Published in the May 2006 Indiana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter All Indiana pharmacists are required to complete thirty (30) hours of continuing education (CE) per renewal period. CE must have been obtained between the period of January 1, 2004 to...

Published in the May 2006 Indiana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Since 1997, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) and the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) have collaborated in surveying selected groups of health care professionals to help detect shortages...

Published in the May 2006 Indiana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Pharmacy and wholesale distributor matters, effective July 1, 2006: Allows a mechanical device that dispenses drugs to be used at certain remote locations and health care facilities. Removes authority for...

Published in the May 2006 Indiana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter LicenseWatch is an online notification service that allows entities to track license updates and notice of proceedings for occupational and health professionals licensed in Indiana. You can create a profile...

Published in the May 2006 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Please Note: Throughout this article, the term “drug(s)” refers only to controlled substances (CS) (all schedules), carisoprodol, and tramadol. In 2002, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Ohio...

Published in the May 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Congress recently passed, and President George W. Bush signed into law, the new Patriot Act, which also contains the federal initiative to thwart the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine. There...

Published in the May 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter 4 CSR 220-2.400(9) prohibits the compounding of drugs that are essentially copies of commercially available products. There must be sufficient documentation within the prescription record of a specific medical need...

Published in the May 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Changes to regulations governing the change of ownership of pharmacies and drug distributors have been finalized by the Missouri Board of Pharmacy and are contained within 4 CSR 220-2.020 and...

Proposed Resolution: 102-9-06 Title: Expanding Ethics Education and Resources for the Boards of Pharmacy Action: DEFEATED Whereas, legislators, courts, and consumer interest groups are demanding and may be mandating that boards of pharmacy have regulations that address ethical conduct by...

Resolution Number: 102-8-06 Title: Recognition Resolution Action: Passed Whereas, the individuals listed here have made significant contributions to NABP, the protection of the public health, and the profession of pharmacy: Dyke Anderson (NE) Warren F. DeBoard (MO) Frank Fitch (IN)...

Resolution Number: 102-7-06 Title: Recognition of Retiring Executive Officers/Former NABP Presidents Action: Passed Whereas, the following executive officers have provided outstanding service to the members of their respective boards of pharmacy during their tenure: David E. Holmstrom, executive director, Minnesota...

Resolution Number: 102-6-06 Title: Nurses as Agents of Prescribers in Long-Term Care Facilities/Alternate Care Sites Action: Passed Whereas, on April 25, 2001, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a notice in the Federal Register soliciting comments regarding preventing accumulation...

Resolution Number: 102-5-06 Title: Regulatory and Legislative Initiatives to Protect the Public from Counterfeit and Diverted Drugs Action: Passed Whereas, counterfeit and diverted drugs continue to pose a significant threat to the protection of the public health; and Whereas, unscrupulous,...

Resolution Number: 102-4-06 Title: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and the US Drug Distribution System Action: Passed Whereas, the recent occurrence of natural disasters, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, have tested the viability of the medical response systems at local, state, and federal...

Resolution Number: 102-3-06 Title: US Recognition of CCAPP Accredited Programs Action: Passed Whereas, there is noted uniformity of the required competency to practice pharmacy within Canada and the United States; and Whereas, the accreditation standards of the Canadian Council for...

Resolution Number: 102-2-06 Title: Safe and Environmentally Friendly Medication Destruction Programs Action: Passed Whereas, patients often need guidance on the proper disposal of unwanted, unused, or expired medication; and Whereas, the inappropriate disposal of unused or expired medication may pose...

Resolution Number: 102-1-06 Title: Standardized Experiential and Practical Experience Requirements for Student Pharmacists Action: Passed Whereas, the designation of the doctor of pharmacy degree as the entry-level pharmacy practice degree necessitated an increase in the number of required experiential hours...

Delegates from the member boards of pharmacy adopted eight resolutions during the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® 102nd Annual Meeting, held April 8-11, 2006, in San Francisco, CA. The resolutions addressed such timely issues as establishing standardized experiential and...

Dennis K. McAllister, RPh, immediate past president of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®), assumed the office of chairperson of the Association's 2006-2007 Executive Committee at the conclusion of NABP's 102nd Annual Meeting held April 8-11, 2006, in...

Lawrence H. Mokhiber, MS, RPh, executive secretary of the New York State Board of Pharmacy, began his term as president of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP® ) following the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2006, in...

Delegates to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy®'s (NABP®) 102nd Annual Meeting, held April 8-11, 2006, in San Francisco, CA, elected individuals to fill the president-elect, treasurer, and open member positions on the Association's 2006-2007 Executive Committee. At the...

John R. Dorvee, Jr, PharmD, was elected to serve as treasurer of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2006, in San Francisco, CA. Prior to the election, Dr Dorvee was...

Karen M. Ryle, MS, RPh, was elected to serve a one-year member term, representing District I, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®;) during the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2006, in San...

Lloyd K. Jessen, RPh, JD, was elected to serve a one-year member term, representing District V, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2006, in San...

Malcolm J. Broussard, RPh, was elected to serve a three-year member term, representing District VI, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2006, in San Francisco,...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) honored leaders in the pharmacy profession at the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, held April 8-11, 2006, in San Francisco, CA. Each year, the Association presents awards to members of the pharmacy profession...

Gary A. Schnabel, RPh, RN, was re-elected to serve a second three-year member term, representing District VII, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2006, in...

Each year the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy®(NABP®) Executive Committee selects an individual to serve as its honorary president for the coming year. NABP is pleased to announce that Kendall M. Lynch, RPh, has been awarded this honor for...

Oren M. Peacock, Jr, RPh, was elected to serve as president-elect of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association’s 102nd Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2006, in San Francisco, CA. Prior to the election, Mr Peacock...

On April 5, 2006, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour signed into law House Bill No. 542, which, among other provisions impacting the practice of pharmacy in the state, authorizes the Mississippi State Board of Pharmacy to implement stricter permit requirements for...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP® ) announced today that two wholesale drug distribution facilities operated by Livonia, MI-based Harvard Drug Group, LLC, have earned accreditation under NABP's Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors™ (VAWD™) program. The accreditation of Harvard Drug...

Published in the April 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Legislation containing revisions related to the prescription of Schedule II controlled drugs by physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners, and certified nurse midwives was signed by Governor Mike Rounds...

Published in the April 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter We receive many calls about pharmaceutical compounding practices. One recent call related to the appropriateness of compounding L-tryptophan capsules for human use. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA),...

Published in the April 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter There was a change to the rules described in the January 2006 Newsletter that restrict the sale of products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine. Following a meeting with the...

Reprinted from the April 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Pharmacists registered in the state of New Jersey who have chosen inactive status may not practice pharmacy. To return to active practice an inactive licensee must apply to the...

Reprinted from the April 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The law (NJSA 45:11-49) regarding prescriptions issued by advanced practice nurses (APN) was amended, effective November 9, 2004, and resulted in modifications being made to the design of New...

Reprinted from the April 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Thanks to Joyce Altsman, state news editor of the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter for allowing us to reprint this article from their February 2006 Newsletter. Pharmacies must...

Reprinted from the April 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board has received several reports of a person calling a pharmacy and having a patient’s controlled substance (CS) prescriptions transferred to a second pharmacy. The caller then picks...

Published in the January 2006 Alaska Board of Pharmacy Newsletter 12 Alaska Administrative Code (AAC) 52.585(a) states that “With each new prescription dispensed, the pharmacist shall verbally provide counseling to the patient or the patient’s agent. . . .” The...

Reprinted from the April 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Between 2000 and 2004, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recorded 24 fatalities in adolescents and children caused by unintentional methadone overdoses. The deaths are...

Published in the April 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On May 27, 2005, the state of South Dakota’s Attorney General’s Office, by and through the State Board of Pharmacy, filed a Summons and Complaint against defendant Canada...

Published in the April 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Following is the revised pseudoephedrine bill which will go into effect July 1, 2006. ENTITLED, An Act to revise certain provisions pertaining to the sale, purchasing, and possession...

Reprinted from the April 2006 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. In 2005, Minnesota joined the ranks of states that have placed additional restrictions on the methamphetamine precursor drugs ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Most products containing these drugs, either alone or in...

Published in the April 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter In October 2004, the Washington State Board of Pharmacy authorized rulemaking to consider new patient counseling regulations. The process was initiated due to a lack of compliance with the...

Reprinted from the April 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Based on a review of spontaneous reports submitted to Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, and the United States Pharmocopeia, prescriptions for Topamax® (topiramate) and Toprol-XL® (metoprolol...

Reprinted from the April 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Interestingly, the Controlled Substance Abuse Task Force often receives calls from pharmacists questioning whether or not the prescription they just filled was fraudulent (and often it is). It seems...

Reprinted from the April 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Nevada Revised Statute 608.019(1) requires employers to permit employees who work continuous periods of eight or more hours to have an uninterrupted meal period of at least one-half hour....

Published in the April 2006 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Board rules require that “an inventory of all CDS must be taken between May 1 and July 1 of each year. A copy of this inventory will be included...

Attendees of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy®’s NABP®) 102nd Annual Meeting have the opportunity to earn up to 6.5 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)-approved continuing education (CE) credit hours by attending a variety of CE sessions on...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is pleased to announce that it has formed a partnership with the Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE) to evaluate the educational credentials of applicants to the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee™ (FPGEC®)...

Published in the March 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Idaho Board of Pharmacy Rule 454 states that “No person shall prescribe, administer, or furnish a [CS] for himself.” However, some of the medical boards have further restrictions in their...

Published in the March 2006 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Note the change in the language from the previous rule regarding expiration of prescription orders from one year to 15 months. “All prescription orders that are legally refillable must have...

Published in the March 2006 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter During the 2004 Legislative Session, the Board was authorized by statute to adopt regulations setting the pharmacist to pharmacy technician ratio. The Board has studied this issue at length...

Published in the March 2006 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter In Kansas, there is no prohibition against physicians writing prescriptions for themselves or family members, either for controlled or noncontrolled drugs, as long as the physician has an “Active”...

Published in the March 2006 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter How do you handle refill requests when a prescriber passes away, retires, or relocates his or her practice? The Kansas Board of Pharmacy and Kansas Board of Healing Arts...

Published in the March 2006 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board is often asked the best way for patients to dispose of unused or expired medications. There is not an easy answer to this question. In the past...

Published in the March 2006 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter There have been questions concerning the professional obligations of licensed pharmacists to provide services they may religiously, morally, or ethically oppose. There is no Delaware Pharmacy Act or Regulation...

Published in the March 2006 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The New Mexico Board of Pharmacy is aware that some health care payers have established policies that deny payments of lower strength medications and require patients to take portions...

Published in the March 2006 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.   With more than 10,000 drugs listed in the 25th edition of the “Orange Book,” it is not surprising that much can arise when trying to determine if and when a...

Published in the March 2006 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter We all know that we may see patients who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Do we recognize it in them? Can we say we would recognize this disease in a...

Attendees Have the Opportunity to Gain Insight Into Technological Advancements, Issues Affecting Practice of Pharmacy, and Network With Fellow Practitioners The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) will once again offer its Educational Presentation Area as well as networking...

Meeting attendees, spouses, and guests attending the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy®’s (NABP®) 102nd Annual Meeting, to be held April 8-11, at the Westin St Francis in San Francisco, CA, will have several opportunities to experience for themselves the...

Health care in the United States has undergone a dramatic transformation as a result of the passage the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. This expansion of the Medicare program is unparalleled and has raised a number...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) announced today that CVS/pharmacy's Distribution Center in Indianapolis, IN, and US Oncology Inc's Fort Worth, TX facility have successfully completed NABP's Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors™ (VAWD™) program's comprehensive criteria and on-site inspection to...

Explorer and Cultural Anthropologist Dr Jeff Salz to Share Inspiring Life Lessons at NABP's 102nd Annual Meeting Traveling previously unexplored areas of the globe may sound more like Indiana Jones, but Dr Jeff Salz — cultural anthropologist, explorer, and journalist...

NABP's 102nd Annual Meeting Provides an Opportunity to Discuss Regulatory Issues "Unifying Members, Candidates, and the Profession — A Journey to the Core of NABP" — the theme of The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy®'s (NABP®) 102nd Annual Meeting...

Published in the February 2006 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board filed several new and revised rules that became effective on January 1, 2006. The full text of these rules, showing changes, can be found on the Board’s...

Published in the February 2006 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Pharmacists may be interested in the following two announcements received in the Board office from the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH): Pediatric Asthma: Pharmacists who are providers...

Published in the February 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter As most readers already know, a law dealing with added controls on ephedrine and pseudoephedrine products went into effect in June 2005. Pure ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were classified under state...

Published in the February 2006 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Delivery of Drugs: Observations are being made concerning the delivery of drugs by pharmacies to locations that are not supervised by or involve pharmacy personnel in maintaining control of the...

The Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation (Committee) met on January 27, 2006. The members of the Committee reviewed their charge and, proposing no changes, accepted it as follows: Review and comment on existing legislation and rules for the practice of pharmacy,...

Published in the January 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Pharmacist owners have been given authority by regulations to be temporarily absent from their pharmacy without closing the entire store (ARSD 20:51:06:10). Temporary absence is a short absence...

Reprinted from the January 2006 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. On June 23, 2005, a final rule on the Drug Addiction Treatment Act was published. Pursuant to this rule, qualifying physicians (doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy) may prescribe...

Reprinted from the January 2006 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Pharmacists have a responsibility to ensure that controlled substances (CS) are dispensed pursuant to legitimate medical needs while preventing their diversion into the illicit market. Prescription pads can be stolen,...

Published in the January 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter During the 2005 Legislative Session, a bill was introduced to restrict the sale of non-prescription products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine. The Legislature passed this bill and enacted statute...

Reprinted from the January 2006 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. What is the best way to proceed when a patient is admitted to your facility and his or her medications are found to include contraband products? An attorney in the...

Published in the January 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter By William O. Robertson, MD, Medical Director, Washington Poison Center When Poison Centers first appeared in the mid-1950s, they focused almost exclusively on the problems of children who took...

Published in the January 2006 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Marinol® was changed from Schedule II to Schedule III in Oklahoma as of November 1, 2005. Schedule II prescriptions are valid for thirty (30) days. This is an increase...

Reprinted from the January 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The affixed label for any dispensed retail drug container must contain the following information, as detailed in N.J.A.C. 13:39-7.12: (1) name and address of the dispensing pharmacy; (2) telephone...

Reprinted from the January 2006 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The requirements for prescriptions transmitted by facsimile or electronic means are not the same, as detailed in N.J.A.C. 13:39-7.10 and 13:39-7.11. Prescriptions transmitted by facsimile must meet all the...

Reprinted from the January 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. This is another reminder that beginning in January 2006 Board rules now require the generic name of the product on the label even if no generic product is available....

Reprinted from the January 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The question has arrived in the Board office as to the existence of an “expiration date” for prescription orders. The only Regulation that would apply to this situation is...

Reprinted from the January 2006 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board of Pharmacy has been working to update Board rules in many different areas, including definitions, license categories, pharmacy satellites, patient access to pharmacists, closure of a pharmacy, required...

Published in the January 2006 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On May 11, 2005, the legislature passed Engrossed Subsitute House Bill 2266. This bill requires the Washington State Board of Pharmacy to enact rules to restrict access to products...

Reprinted from the January 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Recent legislation (AB276) requires a registered pharmacist, upon request by a patient, to transmit prescriptions for that patient to another registered pharmacist as long as the prescription is legally...

Reprinted from the January 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board office is still fielding many calls regarding what is now required on a prescription label for an expiration date. There are now two choices: 1) the actual...

Published in the January 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The sale of drugs from one licensed pharmacy to another pharmacy or a prescriber’s office is allowed by law. Some physicians believe they can write on a prescription...

Reprinted from the January 2006 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Nevada Administrative Code 453.015 interprets “directions for use” to require a prescription label to specify the dosage, frequency, and route of administration in which a controlled substance (CS) is...

Published in the January 2006 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board needs volunteers for upcoming committee work. We will have two (2) working committees starting in 2006: Compounding Rules Committee (United States Pharmacopeia Chapter 797) and Wholesale Pedigree...

Published in the January 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Many pharmacists have questions regarding dispensing of emergency room (ER) medications. The Department of Health requires that licensed health care facilities ensure that their employees and contracted providers...