Alaska

The Board of Pharmacy met on October 10.

Also in Alaska, the Pharmacy Board revised statutes and regulations are now available on the website. Effective September 28, there are significant changes affecting collaborative practice authorities, nationally certified pharmacy technician practices, sterile pharmaceutical guidelines, manufacturer license requirements, prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) registration, alternative to probation program and “owner” / “change of ownership” definitions.

Finally in Alaska, the Board issued new rules on expanded pharmacy technician duties (2 AAC 52.235. PHARMACY TECHNICIAN WITH NATIONAL CERTIFICATION).

(a) A pharmacy technician who holds a national certification may, at the direction of the pharmacist on duty and under the direct supervision of that pharmacist,

(1) perform a final check of and distribute a non-controlled substance prescription if

(C) the pharmacy uses software that displays the image or graphical description of the correct drug being verified; however, if there is any deviation between the image or graphical description and the actual product being distributed, a pharmacist must review and dispense the order; and (Previous Version)

(C) the pharmacy uses software that displays the image or graphical description of the correct drug being verified, or the institutional facility uses software that performs and verifies a barcode scan before administration [; HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ANY DEVIATION BETWEEN THE IMAGE OR GRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION AND THE ACTUAL PRODUCT BEING DISTRIBUTED, A PHARMACIST MUST REVIEW AND DISPENSE THE ORDER]; and (New Version, Bold and Underlined is added and Bracketed is removed)

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.