Innovations-Magazine-February-2023 - 14

STATE BOARD NEWS
Alabama Amends Rule on the Role
of Pharmacy Technicians
The Alabama State Board of Pharmacy has
amended 680-X-2-.14 The Role of Technicians
in Pharmacies rule. Section (3) of this rule was
amended to include the sufficient ratio(s) of
technicians on duty in the prescription area
of a retail or institutional pharmacy for each
full-time licensed pharmacist on duty: Four
technicians, two of which shall be certified by
any credentialing organization approved by the
Board; or three technicians, one of which shall
be certified by any credentialing organization
approved by the Board; or two technicians,
neither of which is required to be certified by
any credentialing organization approved by
the Board. Nothing in this rule shall prevent
a pharmacy from employing technicians
to perform supervised tasks not requiring
professional judgment. This rule went into
effect on November 14, 2022. Additional
details about the other rules that the Alabama
Board amended or adopted can be found in
the Board's November 2022 Newsletter.
Massachusetts Passes
Emergency Contraception
Statewide Standing Order
Chapter 127 of the Acts of 2022, An Act
Expanding Protections for Reproductive and
Gender-Affirming Care, provides for a statewide
standing order for all retail pharmacies to use for
the dispensing of emergency contraception in
Massachusetts. While not required to dispense
emergency contraception under the standing
order, a training program is available through
the MGH Institute of Health Professions that
also offers continuing education credits. The
training program covers both the law known
as An Act Relative to Advancing Contraceptive
Coverage and Economic Security in Our
State and more information on emergency
contraception. For additional information, see
the Board's November 2022 Newsletter.
Ohio Amends Required OARRS
Review for Gabapentin Prescriptions
Effective November 15, 2022, Ohio
Administrative Code 4729:5-5-08 has been
amended to require pharmacists to check
a patient's Ohio Automated Rx Reporting
System (OARRS) report prior to dispensing
12 | FEBRUARY 2023
medications containing gabapentin. This
rule is intended to address an increase in the
overutilization of gabapentin as reported
by OARRS and the State of Ohio Board of
Pharmacy staff. For example, 24.9% (159,163)
of Ohio patients in 2020 received gabapentin
from multiple prescribers. Read more in the
Board's November 2022 Newsletter.
Oregon Adopts Permanent Rules for
Retail Drug Outlet Pharmacies
In April 2022, the Oregon Board of Pharmacy
adopted permanent rules requiring Retail
Drug Outlet pharmacies to notify the public
of temporary, emergency, and permanent
pharmacy closures. The Board continues to
receive a number of complaints from the
public concerning the failure of pharmacies to
communicate closures - especially temporary
closures. If Board notification is required, the
pharmacy must report the closure to the Board
using one of the pharmacy closure notification
forms on the website. There are separate
forms for a temporary and/or emergency
closure, permanent closure, and nonresident
permanent closure. When a Retail Drug Outlet
pharmacy is temporarily closed, the pharmacy
must post notification of the closure on each
pharmacy entrance as soon as possible and
no later than two hours after the temporary
closure begins, note how long it will be closed,
and provide options for prescription pickups.
Also, the closure must be noted on each
telephone greeting and pharmacy operated
internet application as soon as possible, with
information on hours and prescription pickups.
More information regarding the Oregon
Administrative Rules for Retail Drug Outlet
Pharmacy Closures is available in the Board's
November 2022 Newsletter.
Utah Passes Cybersecurity
Defense Legislation
The Utah Cybersecurity Affirmative
Defense Act (2021 House Bill 80)
provides protection to Utah businesses that
create, maintain, and reasonably comply
with industry-recognized cybersecurity
regulations, such as the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST)
or International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) frameworks. The
written cybersecurity program must provide
administrative, technical, and physical
safeguards to protect personal information.
The act provides three affirmative defenses
for businesses that create, maintain, and
reasonably comply with the NIST or ISO
frameworks at the time of the breach:
* claims that a person failed to implement
reasonable information security controls
that resulted in a breach;
* claims that a person failed to
appropriately respond to a breach of a
security system; and
* claims that a person failed to
appropriately notify an individual whose
personal information was compromised
in a breach of a security system.
Read more in the Utah Board of Pharmacy's
November 2022 Newsletter.
Most articles published in State Board News are selected
from the newsletters of state boards that participate in
the NABP State Newsletter Program. Issues are posted on
the NABP website on each participating state's page.

https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/November-2022-Ohio-Newsletter.pdf https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/November-2022-Alabama-Newsletter.pdf https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/November-2022-Oregon-Newsletter.pdf https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/November-2022-Massachusetts-Newsletter.pdf https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/November-2022-Utah-Newsletter.pdf

Innovations-Magazine-February-2023

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