On July 23, the Board of Pharmacy issued a waiver temporarily increasing the ratio, allowing one additional intern pharmacist for each supervising pharmacist under the following conditions: (1) the additional intern pharmacist is administering immunizations consistent with the provisions of Pharmacy Law, and (2) the pharmacy maintains a readily retrievable record documenting the date and time when the ratio is increased according to this waiver and the staff operating under the waiver. Records must be maintained for one year following the end of the declared emergency. The waiver is set to expire on October 20, 2020.

Also in California. NACDS’ in-state partner, the California Retailers Association, signed a coalition letter to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) requesting a 30-day extension to the public comment period on the Second Draft of the Proposed Regulations for the Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship Program, now scheduled to expire on August 3, 2020.

Also in California. In advance of the Senate Business and Professions Committee meeting on August 8, 2020, NACDS and the California Retailers Association submitted a joint letter supporting AB 1710 by Assembly Member Jim Wood, which would allow pharmacists to administer all FDA authorized or approved vaccines.

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