Relating to the practice of pharmacy, and providing for a repeal

This bill relates to pharmacy practice. Division I of the bill eliminates the tech-check-tech program.33A. Division I also eliminates the one-year registration limitation for a person in training to become a pharmacy technician and makes conforming terminology changes. Division II of the bill authorizes the board to adopt rules to authorize a pharmacist or a certified pharmacy technician to supervise a pharmacy support person working at a licensed telepharmacy site. Division III of the bill requires a drug compounding outsourcing facility seeking licensure in the state to have been inspected by the facility’s home state regulatory authority or other entity approved by the board in the two-year period immediately preceding the application, which inspection demonstrates compliance with federal current good manufacturing practices. The bill also allows the board to recover costs associated with conducting an inspection to satisfy the inspection requirement. Division IV of the bill authorizes a pharmacist to make certain adaptations to prescriptions for substances that are not controlled substances when appropriate to fulfill the prescriber’s intent of the prescription medication therapy. Any adaptation made must be documented in the patient’s record and the prescriber must be notified of the adaptation of the prescription. The bill prohibits a third-party payer from recouping payment for the prescription as a result of an audit of an otherwise valid prescription based solely on the pharmacist’s adaptation of the prescription. Division V authorizes a pharmacist to refill a prescription for a chronic maintenance drug, excluding controlled substances, if the pharmacist, after reasonable efforts, is unable to obtain authorization from the prescriber when, in the pharmacist’s professional judgment, the patient’s life or health will be endangered or an essential drug therapy will be disrupted. Division VI amends requirements to exempt influenza vaccines from the requirement that a licensed pharmacist review the statewide immunization registry or health information network prior to the ordering and administration of a vaccine or immunization authorized pursuant to statewide protocols. The bill also exempts influenza vaccines from the requirement that a licensed pharmacist report to the statewide immunization registry or health information network following administration of an influenza vaccine pursuant to statewide protocols to a patient aged or older. Division VII defines and authorizes collaborative pharmacy practice between pharmacists and physicians, advanced registered nurse practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses, and dentists under both Code chapters 124 (controlled substances) and Code chapter 155A (pharmacy). Division VIII codifies the provisions of 2011 Iowa Acts, chapter 63, section 36, relating to pharmacy pilot or demonstration research projects. The bill language differs from these provisions by eliminating language limiting the projects to those based solely on prescription verification and by eliminating the requirement that the board report the approval or denial of projects to the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint appropriations subcommittee on health and human services.