As advancements in secure testing technology continue, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is pleased to announce the launch of the new computerized Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination® (FPGEE®). Set to replace the paper-and-pencil examination, the first computerized...

NABP Awards DMEPOS Accreditation to SUPERVALU PHARMACIES NABP recently accredited SUPERVALU PHARMACIES®, owned and operated by grocery retailer SUPERVALU INC, for its retail store pharmacy services through the Association’s durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) accreditation program. Read...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is pleased to announce that SUPERVALU PHARMACIES, owned and operated by grocery retailer SUPERVALU INC., was awarded accreditation for its retail store pharmacy services through the Association’s durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics,...

Published in the December 2008 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The one or two glasses of wine you drink at the occasional meal when you dine out are no big deal, but what about the standard two glasses of wine...

Published in the December 2008 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter In March 2007, the legislative pharmacists on the Kansas State House and Senate were instrumental in removing the requirement that a prescription for amphetamines or sympathomimetic amines designated in...

Published in the December 2008 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The 2008 Legislature passed a law creating the Unused Medications Act, a voluntary program through which adult-care homes, mail-service pharmacies, and medical care facilities may donate unused medications to...

Published in the December 2008 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On September 24, 2008, a public hearing was held on proposed changes to the Incident Report Regulation. These changes were necessary to ensure continuity between this regulation and the...

Published in the December 2008 Idaho State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Rule 447.03 requires that “additional quantities of controlled substances . . . only be authorized . . . through the issuance of a new prescription.” Statute 54-1732 (3)(b) mandates...

Published in the December 2008 Idaho State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Hospice agencies are licensed by the state to provide care within the health and safety standards established by Idaho statute and rule. Currently all Schedule II through IV controlled...

Published in the December 2008 Idaho State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On November 19, 2007, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) stated in a preamble to the Final Rule on Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances that “the essential...

Published in the December 2008 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Delaware has been inundated with pharmacy robberies in the past two years. As a reminder from past Newsletters, a robbery in the pharmacy setting might be one of the most...

Published in the December 2008 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter  The National Association of Physician Assistants has a policy concerning physician assistants’ (PA) ability to write prescriptions and the information that those prescriptions must include. Portions of that policy are...

Published in the December 2008 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter As there has been some confusion regarding emergency drug kits in long-term care facilities, the Board wishes to clarify certain issues pertaining to the physical, labeling, and restocking requirements of...

FDA Opens Inspection Office in China Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened a branch inspection office in Bejing, China on November 19, 2008, to help regulate the safety of imported food and medicine, the New York Times reported on November...

FDA Seizes Contaminated Heparin from Cincinnati ManufacturerUnited States Marshals have seized 11 lots of heparin from Celsus Laboratories Inc, in Cincinnati, OH. The five lots of heparin sodium active pharmaceutical ingredient and six lots of heparin lithium were seized on...

Published in the November 2008 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On June 27, 2008, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published proposed rules for the electronic prescribing of controlled substances. The comment period for these rules ended on September 25,...

Published in the November 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter An interesting and completely preventable medication labeling error has been reported to the Board. The correct medication label had been applied directly to the container, which was then inserted...

Published in the November 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Recent confusion has been brought to the Board’s attention regarding who in the pharmacy may accept oral instructions for a prescription refill from a prescribing practitioner. More specifically, the...

Published in the November 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Approximately one year ago, the Board of Pharmacy presented an article to the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners for inclusion in its newsletter describing the practitioner’s responsibility when calling...

Published in the November 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The transition from pharmacy technician to certified Oregon pharmacy technician has finally come to a close. As of October 1, 2008, all qualified applicants for renewal as a certified...

Published in the November 2008 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter For further information, refer to the Federal Register Vol. 73, No. 2 published January 3, 2008 Manufacturers of drug products, authorized dispensers, and pharmacies, will be required to provide...

Published in the November 2008 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Alabama and Florida licensed pharmacists are now able to reciprocate licensure if their original licensure was issued by a national examination. Due to previous regulatory restrictions in Florida, an...

FDA Issues Final Rule Requiring Toll-Free Number on Medication Labeling Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule requiring the labeling for certain medications to include a toll-free number for patients to report side effects. The final rule...

With the number of visitors to Internet drug outlets nearly tripling in the last year, the risk to patients’ health is higher than ever. Based on its assessment of more than 1,000 Internet drug outlets selling medicine online, the National...

Drug Spam Network Busted; TV Newscasts Feature NABP A federal judge in Chicago, IL, has shut down a worldwide spam operation soliciting Web sites selling prescription medications illegally, ABC News reported on October 14, 2008. The newscast, available on the...

Reprinted from the October 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. For many years, the state of Florida did not accept licenses by reciprocity. Several years ago, Florida altered their process somewhat to allow reciprocity of licenses where the reciprocity...

Reprinted from the October 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Making sure that the person you are contemplating employing as a pharmacist is, in fact, who they claim to be and a licensed pharmacist should strike most as obvious....

Published in the October 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Department of Health (DOH) was given funding to create a Prescription Monitoring Program. The program’s purpose is to identify and stop prescription drug misuse by collecting all the...

Reprinted from the October 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Fraudulent prescriptions for controlled dangerous substances continue to present a significant problem to dispensing pharmacists. A Web page entitled “A Pharmacist’s Guide to Prescription Fraud,” published by the Drug...

Reprinted from the October 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) defines a medication error as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use...

Reprinted from the October 2008 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. As noted in this issue’s Disciplinary Actions, the Board recently disciplined five pharmacists and one pharmacy for involvement with Internet Web sites that offered to arrange for the sale of...

Reprinted from the October 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Recent articles in the newspapers regarding prescription drug abuse have highlighted the ever increasing number of complaints received by Board staff involving the diversion of controlled substances by pharmacy...

Reprinted from the October 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Drug companies now spend more money on advertising than on research. As of July 1, 2008, Nevada accepts reciprocation of pharmacists licensed in all states including Florida and California....

Reprinted from the October 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The scenario is as follows: A patient tenders a Schedule II prescription within the 14-day window as required and asks the pharmacist to hold it for filling at a...

Reprinted from the October 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The following information was supplied by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) via its Web site on August 17, 2007. Beginning on October 1, 2007, in order for...

Reprinted from the October 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Sooner or later every pharmacist will have to deal with a fraudulent prescription. When the validity of a prescription is an issue, after the practitioner has been contacted and it...

Published in the October 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Note: Effective October 1, 2008, all outpatient Medicaid prescription forms must have all of the following characteristics: Pads must prevent unauthorized copying of completed or blank prescription forms. Pads...

Published in the October 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Washington State Board of Pharmacy adopted new credentialing requirements for pharmacy technicians. These are described in the July 2008 Board of Pharmacy Newsletter article No. 969. Effective January...

California Awareness Project Aims to Divert Pharmaceuticals from Water Supply State and local officials in California are joining forces with the US Environmental Protection Agency for a "No Drugs Down the Drain Week" October 4-11, 2008. The statewide campaign recommends...

Rx Response Provides Communication Aid in Crisis Situations Along with high wind and heavy rain, the recent Hurricanes Gustov and Ike brought with them stark reminders of the need to prepare for an emergency situation so that patient access to...

Attendees of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) 2008 Symposium will have the chance to explore the challenges of combating counterfeit drugs as well as examine the logistics of establishing a behind-the-counter (BTC) drug class during the new...

Oren M. Peacock, Jr, RPh, chairperson of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) Executive Committee received the prestigious Harold W. Pratt Award from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) on August 26, 2008. Peacock was presented...

Model Act Revisions Address Distribution of Drugs; Quality, Safety in Patient Care NABP recently amended the Model State Pharmacy Act and Model Rules of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (Model Act) to incorporate the changes that were recommended...

Published in the September 2008 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Vermont does require any medication that is dispensed and will expire in one year or less to have the exact expiration date on the prescription label. The law is found...

Published in the September 2008 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter All persons performing duties that would constitute practice as a pharmacy technician must be registered (Title 26 VSA §§2042a and 2042b). If a technician allows his or her registration to...

Published in the September 2008 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter (Title 18 VSA §4215. Authorized Sales By Pharmacists) In the last three years the Board of Pharmacy has received numerous comments and complaints about the rule that required prescriptions for...

Published in the September 2008 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Note: Rules about electronic transmissions of prescriptions are being revised. Please consult the Board of Pharmacy Web site for the current status of the revisions to the rules. Schedule II...

Published in the September 2008 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter KRS 217.216, 218A.180(4), and 902 KAR 55:105 require the following items on a written prescription for a controlled substance: Date of issue Quantity check-off boxes marked Patient’s name Directions for...

Published in the September 2008 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter This is one definition of alcoholism (or you may substitute drug addiction) that may help us to understand a bit better why the alcoholic acts the way he or she...

Published in the September 2008 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy Newsletter An electronically generated controlled substance prescription that is not manually signed by the practitioner, but instead is electronically signed, is not valid. A written prescription for a controlled substance...

Published in the September 2008 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Physician assistants (PAs) are able to write prescriptions in Idaho. The PA’s name should be the name printed on the prescription label. The PAs name should be written as “John...

Published in the September 2008 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Pharmacy Regulation, Part 6, was revised during the June 16-17, 2008 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy meeting. The amendment allows drug utilization reviews (DUR) to be done at...

Published in the September 2008 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Rule 464. Filling Controlled Substance Prescription and Positive Identification: Persons receiving controlled substances shall be positively identified by the staff at the pharmacy at the time any controlled substance is...

Published in the September 2008 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for any drug product addresses quality concerns for the manufacturing process of that particular medication. Whether a product can be used as a...

Published in the September 2008 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Transfer of Controlled Substances between Pharmacies 21 CFR 1306.25 (a) The transfer of original prescription information for a controlled substance listed in Schedules III, IV, or V for refill...

Published in the September 2008 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Whenever the pharmacist-in-charge (PIC) of a pharmacy in the state of Delaware leaves their position, the Delaware State Board of Pharmacy should be notified of the change. Regulation 3...

Appellate Court Ruling Upholds Injunction of FDA Pedigree Rule The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York has upheld an injunction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule regarding pedigree requirements for wholesalers. FDA issued...

New and Improved NABP e-News Now Available by Subscription With this issue, NABP unveils a sharp new look for its biweekly e-News publication. In addition to providing educational, regulatory, and Association news for the state boards of pharmacy, the new...

Published in the August 2008 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Physician assistant (PA) prescribing is in full swing. The State Medical Board of Ohio has finalized the rules needed to implement the process, including the formulary. Information on licensing...

Published in the August 2008 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Ohio State Board of Optometry rule that deals with optometrists’ prescribing of controlled substances for pain was due to go before the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review...

Published in the August 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter High-profile cases over the past few years, as well as heightened media exposure, now has the general public questioning the integrity of our medication distribution system. We realize that...

Published in the August 2008 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter George T. Grubbs serves as an inspector for the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy where he promotes, preserves, and protects the public health, safety, and welfare of the state’s...

Published in the August 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Another topic demanding much discussion among Board members and staff over the past year is the topic of pharmacy technicians and clerks regarding their interactions with patients. It has...

Published in the August 2008 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Effective August 1, 2007, a topic indicator of “patient safety” was added to the Universal Program Number codes. The list of current and new designator codes are as follows:...

Reprinted from the August 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. July 2008 Joint Position Statement of the Montana Boards of Pharmacy, Medical Examiners, and Nursing This joint position statement addresses the role of licensed nurses functioning in the Emergency Department...

District Court Ruling Overturned in Pharmacy Compounding CaseThe US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, on July 18, 2008, issued a decision in the case of Medical Center Pharmacy, et al, v Mukasey on the issue of pharmacy compounding. The case...

DEA Publishes Proposed Rule on Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances On June 27, 2008, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule to revise its regulations to allow the electronic prescribing of controlled substances. The rule...

Reprinted from the July 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Rule .2507 governing pharmacist-administered vaccines was amended effective February 1, 2008, to allow pharmacists to administer the zoster vaccine (presently marketed under the name Zostavax®). As with the pneumococcal...

Reprinted from the July 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) continues to make changes to the substantive and procedural aspects of its continuing pharmacy education (CPE) standards. ACPE now requires a CPE...

Reprinted from the July 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Board staff reminds pharmacist managers that the Pharmacy Practice Act states that the permissible ratio of pharmacists to technicians is 1:2. NCGS §90-85.15A(c). That ratio may be increased if...

Reprinted from the July 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Board staff continues to receive and investigate numerous complaints involving the diversion of controlled substances by technicians. In some cases, the sheer number of controlled substance dosage units diverted...

Reprinted from the July 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. A number of pharmacists have contacted North Carolina Board of Pharmacy staff to ask whether it is legal to fill a prescription for methadone at a 40 mg strength...

Reprinted from the July 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Public Affairs published new standards for e-prescribing in the Federal Register on April 2, 2008. The final rule does not...

Reprinted from the July 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The application for the registration of out-of-state pharmacies has been posted on the Board of Pharmacy Web site at www.state.nj.us/oag/ca/medical/pharmacy.htm. NJAC 13:39-4.19(a), adopted November 19, 2007, states, “Any pharmacy...

Published in the July 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Washington State Board of Pharmacy adopted rule changes at its public hearing on May 29, 2008. The amended rules result in new requirements for certification as a pharmacy...

Reprinted from the July 2008 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board typically investigates at least a dozen complaints each year against pharmacists and technicians involved in the alleged diversion of controlled substances, the abuse of alcohol, or the inability...

Reprinted from the July 2008 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Several laws were passed this year that will have an impact on the practice of pharmacy. Most of the pharmacy provisions in Chapter 321 of 2008 Session Law were drafted...

Reprinted from the July 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. As pharmacists increase their role within the medical community by providing immunizations, it is important that they recognize the reasoning behind reporting. The goal is that each patient has...

Published in the July 2008 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter As of May 15 there were 229 pharmacies in South Dakota operating with full-time permits. Counties with the most full-time pharmacies are Minnehaha (57) and Pennington (23). Currently...

Published in the July 2008 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Effective November 1, 2007, a new state law requires all license applicants to verify their lawful presence by executing a sworn affidavit under the penalty of perjury. Please complete...

Beginning in July 2008, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) will add a mid-level group to its categorization of Web sites selling prescription medicine. NABP will post on its Web site a list of Reviewed Internet Pharmacy Practice...

NABP Creates Mid-Level Category of Web Sites Selling Prescription Medications Beginning in July 2008, NABP will add a mid-level group to its categorization of Web sites selling prescription medications, as posted in the Internet Pharmacies section of its Web site....

Publix Super Markets Meets CMS Quality Standards for Distributing DMEPOS ProductsThe National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is pleased to announce that Publix Super Markets, Inc was awarded accreditation for its retail store pharmacy services through the Associationís durable...

Study Results Fuel Concerns over Safety, Efficacy of Foreign Drugs Purchased Online According to study results published in the May 2008 issue of Annals of Pharmacotherapy, many prescription medications purchased from foreign pharmacies through Internet drug outlets differ significantly from...

Published in the June 2008 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Is it legal for a licensed prescriber to create electronic prescriptions for Schedule III through V drugs on his or her e-prescribing software and transmit them electronically to either the...

Published in the June 2008 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Kansas legislature passed several important pharmacy-related bills during the 2008 session. Senate Bill (SB) 491 creates the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMP) recommended by the Prescription Monitoring Task...

Published in the June 2008 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board of Pharmacy has implemented a 24/7 online program where au¬thorized practitioners and pharmacists may check controlled substance (CS) prescriptions filled for specified individuals. Practitioners and pharmacists must register...

Published in the June 2008 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The passage of SB 88 in 2007 allowed the Commonwealth of Kentucky to link all pharmacies in the Commonwealth to one centrally located database. By linking together into one database,...

Published in the June 2008 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter House Bill (HB) 328 (sponsored by Representative Susan Westrom) passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Steve Beshear on April 25, 2008. HB 328 requires...

NABP 104th Annual Meeting Election Results, Officers’ Reports Available Online During the NABP 104th Annual Meeting May 17-20, 2008, delegates from the member boards of pharmacy elected individuals to fill the president-elect, treasurer, and open member positions on the Association’s...

Association to collaborate with stakeholders to develop statutory authority to establish a behind-the-counter drug class; inform constituents of issues surrounding teen drug abuseDelegates from the member boards of pharmacy adopted eight resolutions during the National Association of Boards of...

Gary A. Schnabel, RPh, RN, Oregon pharmacist, was elected to serve as the 2008-2009 president-elect of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association’s 104th Annual Meeting, May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD. Prior to the election,...

Gregory Braylock, Sr, RPh, was elected to serve a three-year member term, representing District 4, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association’s 104th Annual Meeting, May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD....

Hal Wand, MBA, RPh, was elected to serve a three-year member term, representing District 8, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association’s 104th Annual Meeting, May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD....

Michael A. Burleson, RPh, was elected to serve a three-year member term, representing District 3, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association’s 104th Annual Meeting, May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD....

Delegates to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) 104th Annual Meeting, held May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD, elected individuals to fill the president-elect, treasurer, and open member positions on the Association’s 2008-2009 Executive Committee. The newly elected...

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 Charles C. “Curt” Barr, PharmD, RP, has been...

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) honored leaders in the protection of public health at the Association’s 104th Annual Meeting, held May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD. Each year, the Association presents awards to individuals who have worked...

 Oren M. Peacock, Jr, RPh, immediate past president of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®), assumed the office of chairperson of the Association’s 2008-2009 Executive Committee during the Final Business Session of the NABP 104th Annual Meeting held...

Richard A. “Rich” Palombo, RPh, began his term as president of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP® ) during the Final Business Session of the Association’s 104th Annual Meeting, May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD. During his presidency,...

 William T. “Bill” Winsley, MS, RPh, was elected to serve as the 2008-2009 treasurer of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) during the Association’s 104th Annual Meeting, May 17-20, 2008, in Baltimore, MD. Prior to the election, Mr...

Resolution No.: 104-8-08 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: Robert B. Cavendish (OH) Robert Childers (WV) Arnold Delger (MN)...

Resolution No.: 104-7-08 Title: Teen Medication Abuse Action: Passed Whereas, abuse of medications by teens is a dangerous and rapidly increasing problem; and Whereas, pharmacists can provide guidance and education to parents and caregivers on how to secure medications to...

Resolution No.: 104-6-08 Title: Behind-the-Counter Class of Drugs Action: Passed Whereas, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is contemplating the establishment of a class of medications that would be available without a prescription but only after intervention from...

Resolution Number: 104-5-08 Title: Task Force on Medication Collection Programs Action: Passed Whereas, unused, unwanted, or expired medications may threaten public health and safety; and Whereas the inappropriate disposal of unused or expired medications may pose a significant risk to...

Resolution No.: 104-4-08 Title: Task Force on Standardized Pharmacy Technician Education and Training Action: Passed Whereas, pharmacy technicians have become an integral component of pharmacy practice; and Whereas, state requirements vary regarding the registration, licensure, and certification of pharmacy technicians;...

Resolution Number: 104-3-08 Title: Task Force on Uniform Prescription Labeling Requirements Action: Passed Whereas, concerns have arisen regarding prescription drug label content and format as contributing factors to patient confusion and medication errors; and Whereas, some prescription drugs are known...

Resolution Number: 104-2-08 Title: Standardized Internship Registration Action: Passed Whereas, there is an identified need to standardize when interns are recognized and licensed by the boards of pharmacy in order to accumulate required internship hours while completing the experiential practice...

Resolution Number: 104-1-08 Title: “TALL MAN” Letter Utilization for Look-Alike Drug Names Action: Passed Whereas, medication dispensing errors continue to occur as a result of look-alike prescription drug product names; and Whereas, the use of “TALL MAN” letters highlighting the...

On May 16, 2008, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) launched the Internet Pharmacies section of its Web site, educating patients on the potential dangers of buying medicine online and empowering them to make informed choices. Thus far,...

Hospitals Continue to Administer Recalled Heparin Products to Patients; FDA Urges Removal Despite 81 deaths in the United States associated with contaminated heparin and at least five recalls of various heparin dosage forms in the last several months, hospitals continue...

Published in the May 2008 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The legislature recently revised the optometry laws (HB 149), and the law became effective on March 24, 2008. This bill changed, among other things, the prescribing privileges for optometrists...

Published in the May 2008 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Physician assistant (PA) prescribing is here. Many of you have already seen prescriptions issued by PAs and have called the Board office to verify the validity of the prescriptions....

Published in the May 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Oregon Pharmacy Recovery Network (OR PRN) was established by the Oregon legislature in 1989 to allow the Board of Pharmacy to work with licensees (pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and...

Published in the May 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The most common consumer complaints received by the Board are complaints about medication errors. In many cases, the error could have been prevented with appropriate and effective patient counseling...

Published in the May 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Following a six-month delay in implementation, the Medicaid tamper-resistant prescription pad requirement became effective April 1, 2008. The November 2007 Newsletter contained article No. 423: Tamper-Resistant Prescription Forms describing...

Published in the May 2008 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Alabama State Board of Pharmacy currently issues Board CE approval for programs offered in the state. A program is submitted to the director of education and compliance for...

Insurance Coalition Looks to Pharmacies, Regulators to Reduce Drug Diversion, AbuseA recent report by the Coalition against Insurance Fraud looks to pharmacies and pharmacy regulators, among others, to cut down on the prevalence of prescription drug diversion, particularly of controlled...

The Task Force on Prescription Drug Diversion from Common Carriers met April 21-22, 2008. Task force members reviewed their charge and accepted it as follows: Solicit input from entities potentially affected by any action by NABP to address the issue...

The 2007-2008 Committee on Constitution and Bylaws met via teleconference on April 4, 2008. The committee reviewed its charge as stated in the NABP Constitution and Bylaws (CBL). No additions or changes were proposed. Therefore, the charge reads as follows:...

Senate Passes Bill to Restrict Distribution of Controlled Substances through Internet PharmaciesOn April 1, 2008, the United States Senate passed the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 to impose registration and reporting requirements on Internet pharmacies that...

(08-04-292) Published in the April 2008 Louisiana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health recently launched its new volunteer management Web site. LAVA, or Louisiana Volunteers in Action, is the program responsible...

California Board Delays Implementation of e-Pedigree Requirement On March 25, 2008, the California State Board of Pharmacy voted unanimously to delay implementation of its requirement for electronic pedigrees originally scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2009. The new implementation...

Ordering prescription drugs online can be safe and convenient when patients use legitimate online pharmacies, but it is all too easy for patients to find themselves the recipients of counterfeit drugs from dishonest Web sites. The vast number of Web...

Published in the April 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board recently reviewed and approved the use of electronic record keeping and prescription storage systems. This was accompanied by a cautionary reminder that a scanned copy of a...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. A recent question to the Board office asked whether an “office use” prescription is valid. The answer is no. Medications prescribed must be dispensed to a patient. When medication is...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. DEA has issued a final rule entitled “Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances,” effective December 19, 2007. Practitioners may now provide a patient with multiple prescriptions for...

Published in the April 2008 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Effective December 19, 2007, Drug Enforcement Administration released a new rule amendment to Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1306 authorizing prescribers to provide individual patients with...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.   Every so often the Board office receives calls from pharmacists questioning whether or not the prescription they just filled was fraudulent (and often it is). It seems that the...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.    A commonly used medication that prevents blood clots from forming may also prevent existing clots from damaging delicate vein walls – and may accelerate healing in a clot-damaged area...

Reprinted form the April 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. New Jersey Senate Bill 1604, signed by Governor Jon Corzine on January 4, 2008, amends the New Jersey Controlled Dangerous Substances Act to allow the use of electronic order...

Reprinted form the April 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The January New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter erroneously stated that all “certified” pharmacy technicians would be required to register with the Board of Pharmacy. All pharmacy technicians in...

Reprinted from the April 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The frequently asked questions section of the Board’s Web site provides guidance on changes that may be made to a prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance after consultation...

Reprinted from the April 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Effective April 1, 2007, the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy implemented rules governing Internet pharmacies. Rule .1601(d) provides: (d) In addition to all of the other requirements for issuance...

Reprinted from the April 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Barring unforeseen developments between the time this copy was submitted and the publication date of the Newsletter, the “tamper proof prescription pad” requirement for Medicaid prescriptions will have gone...

Reprinted from the April 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. North Carolina Board of Pharmacy staff periodically receives questions about the compounding of over-the-counter (OTC) products. Compounding of OTC products can involve at least two scenarios. First, a pharmacist...

Reprinted from the April 2008 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Minnesota Statutes §151.01, subd. 27 provides a definition of the “practice of pharmacy” that includes: “participation in the practice of managing drug therapy and modifying drug therapy, according to section...

Reprinted from the April 2008 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Last year, Congress enacted a section of law that requires all paper Medicaid prescriptions to be written or printed on tamper-resistant pads or paper. (Unless they are transmitted electronically or...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Board staff often gets a call from either a patient or a pharmacist asking if it is OK for a pharmacist to fill multiple refills for the same prescription...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Odd as it may seem, one of fastest climbing products on the list of diversion is promethazine with codeine syrup. The illicit recreational use of this product was popularized...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Effective December 19, 2007, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that it will once again be legal for practitioners to write up to a 90-day supply of a Schedule II...

Reprinted form the April 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. It has been brought to the attention of Nevada State Board of Pharmacy staff that there is some confusion with regard to what medications are returnable to a pharmacy....

Published in the April 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Many states, including Washington, have seen a drop in methamphetamine drug labs and dump sites. State and federal regulations restricting the availability of products used to manufacture methamphetamine have...

Attendees of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) 104th Annual Meeting have the opportunity to earn up to nine contact hours (0.9 CEUs) of Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education-approved continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit. CPE sessions will be...

NABP Convenes Stakeholder Teleconference to Set Internet Pharmacy Standards NABP convened a teleconference on March 12, 2008, to solicit stakeholder input on the establishment of minimum operating standards for Internet pharmacies. NABP is developing these standards to readily and reliably...

Prescription pain killers are now only second to marijuana in the nation’s drug abuse problem. Thought to be “safer” than street drugs, prescription drugs are just as dangerous when they are obtained through illegal means and used without the supervision...

Proposed Federal Legislation Would Mandate Electronic Prescriptions In December 2007, the Medicare Electronic Medication and Safety Protection (E-MEDS) Act of 2007 was introduced in the Senate and a similar bill was introduced in the House that would provide new incentives...

Published in the March 2008 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter After nearly thirty (30) months in revision, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) posted the final update for USP General Chapter 797, “Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Preparations.” Information for obtaining a copy of...

Published in the March 2008 Idaho Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Effective December 19, 2007, DEA amended a regulation to allow practitioners to provide an individual patient with multiple prescriptions for a specific Schedule II CS, written on the same date,...

Published in the March 2008 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On February 18, 2008, all Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) data collection will be through RelayHealth. Recent communications to dispensers of controlled substances in Kentucky have highlighted the...

Published in the March 2008 Kansas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board recently amended its regulations regarding the responsibilities of the pharmacist-in-charge (PIC) regardless of the setting or type of pharmacy. The PIC is now required to inventory all...

Published in the March 2008 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The New Mexico Board of Pharmacy designated Albuquerque Police Department Detective Brian Sallee as an agent of the Board. Detective Sallee is authorized to collect and copy information from...

Published in the March 2008 Maine Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Implementation of Board Rule Chapter 13, §6(4)(5), and (6) was deferred to June 30, 2010, to allow ample time for pharmacies to comply with barrier, alarm, and security camera system...

Published in the March 2008 Delaware State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter There have been a number of recent inquiries and some confusion regarding the validity of electronically transmitted controlled substance prescriptions from a practitioner’s office to a pharmacy. E-prescribed controlled...

Held in the heart of Baltimore, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP® ) 104th Annual Meeting, “Charting the Course – New Passages to Protecting the Public Health,” will provide attendees with the opportunity to help influence the future...

NABP to Launch Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment ProgramNABP will launch its Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment™ (PCOA®) mechanism in April 2008 for use by colleges of pharmacy in evaluating their curricula. NABP is currently inviting colleges of pharmacy to participate in...

USP Hosts Free Webinar on Revised Chapter 797 Compounding Standards United States Pharmacopeia (USP) will host a free Webinar at 11:30 am EST (GMT -05:00, New York) on February 20, 2008 to acquaint state board of pharmacy inspectors and surveyors...

Published in the February 2008 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Any pharmacy or drug distributor who employs or wishes to employ an individual who has entered a plea of guilty, no contest, nolo contendere, or otherwise been convicted of a...

Published in the February 2008 Missouri Board of Pharmacy Newsletter As part of a program initiated in 2003, the Board continues to test drug preparations compounded by pharmacies. Inspectors collect prepa¬rations and send them to certified laboratories for potency testing...

Published in the February 2008 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter (1) The supervising pharmacist shall be on duty a minimum of 50% of the hours the pharmacy is in operation or at least thirty (30) hours per week, whichever...

Published in the February 2008 Alabama State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Effective December 19, 2007, DEA released a new rule amendment to Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1306 authorizing prescribers to provide individual patients with multiple prescriptions for...

Published in the February 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On January 1, 2008, the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners (BME) officially became known as the Oregon Medical Board (OMB). This is a result of the passage of Senate...

Published in the February 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board’s inspectors continue to encounter interesting situations during their on-site pharmacy inspections. One of the routine checks on the inspectors’ lists is the refrigerator/freezer or other controlled temperature...

Published in the February 2008 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Considering the recent influx of questions and comments from pharmacists, physicians, and other prescribing practitioners regarding Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) current position on electronic transmission of controlled substance (CS)...

The Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation met on January 24-25, 2008. 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, legal...

FDA Advises against Using OTC Cold Medicines in Children Younger than 2 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory on January 17, 2008, recommending that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines should not be used to treat...

A dynamic and influential party leader who has cultivated a legacy as a tireless fighter for America’s common man, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle will be the keynote speaker at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®)...

CMS Announces MSAs, Product Categories for Round Two of DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on January 8, 2008, the metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and product categories for the second round of the Medicare durable...

Published in the January 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter In November 2007 the Department of Health finalized new rules for the practice of naturopathy. The rules allow naturopathic physicians (ND) to prescribe any legend drug except botulinum toxin....

Published in the January 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter On July 5, 2007, the board of pharmacy filed a Preproposal Statement of Inquiry announcing its intent to develop rules on standards for pharmacies in correctional facilities. With stakeholder...

Reprinted from the January 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. As of January 1, 2008, manufacturers of methadone hydrochloride tablets 40 mg (dispersible) have voluntarily agreed to restrict distribution of this formulation to only those facilities authorized for detoxification and...

Reprinted from the January 2008 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.A review of the requirements for submitting programs for Montana Board of Pharmacy Continuing Education Advisory Council (CEAC) approval is a timely topic now that pharmaceutical companies can no longer be...

Published in the January 2008 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Recently the state of South Dakota made improvements to government Web sites. The Board of Pharmacy staff will be improving and updating our Web site to make it...

Published in the January 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Starting April 1, 2008, all written Medicaid prescriptions for fee-for-service program patients must be written on tamper-resistant prescription pads. This is required by federal standards. This includes prescriptions where...

Reprinted from the January 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Senate Bill 1195 was signed by Governor Jon Corzine on November 2, 2007, establishing a pharmacy’s duty to fill a prescription for in-stock medications or devices without delay, notwithstanding...

Reprinted from the January 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. There continues to be some confusion regarding telephone authorization for prescription renewals. N.J.A.C. 13:39-7.3 addresses authorization for prescription renewals, and 13:39-7.3(b) states, “When the renewals listed on the original...

Reprinted from the January 2008 New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Even though the change in Drug Enforcement Administration regulations (21 CFR §1306.12) effective December 19, 2007, which allows a practitioner the ability to provide multiple prescriptions for the same...

Reprinted from the January 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The North Carolina Association of Free Clinics requested that Board staff develop and post a frequently asked question (FAQ) section on the Board’s Web site to provide guidance on...

Reprinted from the January 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Board has received numerous inquiries from physician assistants (PA) and nurse practitioners (NP) about Board of Pharmacy Rule .1703, 21 NCAC 46.1703. PAs and NPs have asked whether...

Reprinted from the January 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Pharmacy Practice Act provides that “the pharmacist in charge of a pharmacy shall report within ten (10) days to the Board any disaster, accident, theft or emergency which...

Reprinted from the January 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published in the Federal Register on November 19, 2007, a final rule titled “Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances.” The rule...

Reprinted from the January 2008 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Drug Enforcement Administration adopted the following rule change effective December 19, 2007. The issuance of multiple prescriptions as described in this rule change is permissible under Minnesota law. Sec. 1306.12...

Published in the January 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter As of July 1, 2007, a new law went into effect that prohibits pregnant women and children under three years of age from getting vaccines with a mercury (thimerosal)...

Published in the January 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter DEA amended regulations to allow practitioners to provide individual patients with multiple prescriptions for the same Schedule II CS written on the same date, to be filled sequentially. The...

Reprinted from the January 2008 Nevada State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter. Some serious adverse events have surfaced, including patient deaths, in patients treated with Fentora® as a result of improper patient selection, improper dosing, and improper substitution. Per the manufacturer,...

Published in the January 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Washington State Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance Division will roll out a new licensing system early this year. The Integrated Licensing and Regulatory System (ILRS) will...

Published in the January 2008 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Mid-Level Practitioner Update: Physician assistants (PA) may now prescribe for up to a 30-day supply of Schedule III to V if they have a mid-level Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)...

Published in the January 2008 Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Board has received numerous complaints regarding faxes promoting a partnership between a Web site and pharmacies to sell prescription drugs. The faxes claim to be legal and offer...