The Dept. of Labor and Industry published the following effective March 25, 2023: 

• 24.174.101 – The Board of Pharmacy adopts and incorporates the organizational rules of the Dept. of Labor and Industry. 
• 24.174.201 – The Board of Pharmacy adopts and incorporates the procedural rules of the Dept. of Labor and Industry.
• 24.174.202 – The Board of Pharmacy adopts and incorporates the public participation rules of the Dept. of Labor and Industry. 

Also in Montana, HB 710, legislation permitting pharmacy interns and technicians to administer immunizations, passed the House (90-8) and Senate (44-5). It has not yet been transmitted to the Governor. 

Finally in Montana, SB 112, legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe certain medications with limitations, passed the Senate (34-15). In the House Human Services Committee, the bill was amended and passed (14-7).    

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

HB 710, legislation permitting pharmacy interns and technicians to administer immunizations, passed the House (90-8) and was transmitted to the Senate on March 3. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

HB 710, legislation permitting pharmacy interns and technicians to administer immunizations, was introduced on February 21 and passed the Business and Labor Committee on February 24. After SB 239 failed to advance, the Montana Retail Association and the Montana Pharmacy Association found a new sponsor to pursue this legislation.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

HB 379, extending the prohibition on PBMs to require federally certified health entities to identify 340B drug from June 1, 2023 to June 1, 2025, was amended and passed the House Business and Labor Committee on February 14.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

SB 112, allowing pharmacists to prescribe certain medications with limitations, passed the Senate Human Services Committee (6-3) and the Senate (34-15). The bill is now in the House Human Services Committee.  

Also in Montana, SB 239, making pharmacist and technician immunization flexibilities under the PREP Act permanent, will not advance. The Montana Retail Association and the Montana Pharmacy Association are seeking a new sponsor and a new placeholder draft, LC 1310, permitting a pharmacy intern and technician to administer immunizations. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services posted the 2023 Naloxone Standing Order on its Opioids and Overdose website.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

LC 1633, related to 340B, was a prefile for the 2023 state legislative session. As drafted, PBMs or health insurers may not:  

• Prohibit federally certified health entities or pharmacies from participating in the insurer’s network;  
• Reimburse a federally certified health entity or pharmacy differently than reimbursing other similarly situated pharmacies;  
• Require a claim or a drug to include a modifier to indicate that the drug is a 340B drug, unless the claim is for Medicaid payment; or 
• Create restrictions or impose additional charges on patients who choose to receive drugs from a federally certified health entity or pharmacy  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Board of Pharmacy will conduct a Full Board Meeting via conference call on December 9 at 9:30 a.m. See the board meetings page for details. Note: the following on the agenda. 

• 2023 Legislative Session 
  • Governor’s Red Tape Relief Initiative 
  • DLI Legislative Drafts Important to Pharmacy 
    • LC0394 Standardize licensing board organization 
    • LC0395 Consolidating and clarifying penalties for unlicensed practice 
    • LC0396 Revise laws related to professional and occupational licensure 

• 2023 Future Rulemaking Efforts 
  • Governor’s Red Tape Relief Initiative 
  • Implementation of 2023 Legislation 

• Rules, effective as of September 24, 2022: 
  • 24.174.401 – Fee Schedule 
  • 24.174.1201 – Wholesale Distributor and Third-Party Logistics Provider Licensing 
  • 24.174.1202 – Manufacturer and Repackager Licensing
  • 24.174.1203 – Personnel 
  • 24.174.1207 – Change in Location 
  • 24.174.1208 – Change in Ownership 
  • 24.174.1211 – Minimum Facility Requirements 
  • 24.174.1212 – Minimum Requirements for Establishment and Maintenance of Drug Distribution Records
  • 24.174.1213 – National Clearinghouse for Wholesale Drug Distributor Licensing 
  • 24.174.1702 – Information Required for Submission 
  • 24.174.1703 – Electronic Format Required for the Transmission of Information 
  • 24.174.1704 – Requirements for Submitting Prescription Registry Information to the Board 

Also in Montana, the Cheyenne Department of Veterans Affairs reported that two (2) prescription pads have either been lost or stolen. The prescription pads are serialized and numbered: 

• 9282501 – 9282600 
• 9282601 – 9282700 

If you receive or have received hardcopy prescriptions within these serialized numbers, please contact the Board of Pharmacy office.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

This week, Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) declared a statewide disaster due to severe flooding in several counties with additional flood warnings in other areas of the state.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.