Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) announced Tuesday that he will be convening a special session of the legislature on Thursday to address the budget shortfall. The Governor is seeking the authority to use the state’s $173 million unallocated budget surplus to fill some budget needs after his administration cut the state’s general revenue by $353 million to $5.38 billion in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.
Also in Arkansas... The Board of Pharmacy postponed their April Board meeting and informal conferences.
Also in Arkansas... The Department of Health adopted a Final rule effective March 5th that amends regulations requiring prescribers to check related to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) in certain situations and requires the PDMP Advisory Committee to include the chair of the State Medical Board and the State Board of Dental Examiners, or their designees. The rule also changes who may access the controlled substances database, revises requirements for the department regarding PDMP information, and specifies that a practitioner who purposely fails to access the PDMP may face disciplinary action.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.