New Mexico News: Regulation Amendments

March 1, 2007 2:36 pm

Published in the March 2007 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy Newsletter

During the November 2-3, 2006 Board meeting, the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy amended four regulations. Each of these amendments will be discussed briefly. To view these regulations, contact the Board office or visit the Board Web site.
1. 16.19.4 NMAC – Pharmacist. The Pharmacist Clinician portion of the regulation was amended. The regulation was amended to correlate with current practice and the New Mexico Medical Board regulations.
The major changes include:
A. The definitions section was moved to the beginning of the regulation to be properly formatted to the state’s requirements.
B. The requirements for initial certification and registration were combined into one category. To become a pharmacist clinician you must complete a Board of Pharmacy approved physical assessment course. In addition, a future pharmacist clinician must complete the required quantity of practitioner supervised direct patient contact hours.
C. Applicants with prescriptive authority submitting a renewal application must include their current Medical Board Registrations and current practice protocols.
D. The requirement of reasonable proximity of supervising physician was changed to being able to communicate with the physician; in-person, telephonically, via two-way radio, e-mail, or other electronic means.
E. The requirement for a supervising physician review was changed to the development of a quality assurance program reviewing the pharmacist clinician practice. If you are, or are thinking of becoming a pharmacist clinician, please review this regulation.
2. 16.19.7 NMAC – Hospital Pharmacies. This regulation amendment allows for the outsourcing of pharmaceutical services. A hospital pharmacy may enter into an agreement with another licensed pharmacy/pharmacist to provide pharmaceuticals and/or other pharmacist services. Certain conditions must be met. Review the regulation if you are planning on implementing this service.
3. 16.19.20.69 NMAC – Controlled Substances. This regulation amendment excludes pseudoephedrine products from being Schedule V controlled substances (CS) that are already classified as dangerous drugs. You do not need to add prescription pseudoephedrine to your annual inventory or treat it as CS.
4. 16.19.26.9 NMAC – Pharmacists Prescriptive Authority. This regulation  amendment allows other vaccines to be added to the list of approved drugs as determined by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The Protocol for Pharmacist Prescribing of Vaccines was then revised adding these three vaccines: rotovirus, shingles vaccine, and travel vaccines. Please review this regulation if you have prescriptive authority for vaccines.