At the September Board of Pharmacy meeting, Board members voted against extending a temporary emergency regulation re-instating the 6:1 pharmacy technician to pharmacist ratio that expired in July of 2022. 

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

In response to a request from chain pharmacy, September 7 & 8 Board of Pharmacy meeting, the Board will discuss and potentially act on the Adoption of an Emergency Regulation in increase the number of pharmaceutical technicians and pharmaceutical technicians in training that a pharmacist may supervise at one time from four to six. The Retail Association of Nevada (RAN) and NACDS encourage members to send a letter of support in advance of the meeting. 

Also in Nevada, pharmacists can now bill the state's Medicaid program for hormonal contraceptive and HIV prevention services. The Board posted two guidance documents on the new laws that allow pharmacists to dispense self-hormonal contraceptives without a prescription, and allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense PEP and PrEP drugs. 

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

Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) ended the state’s mask mandate effective immediately, February 10, 2022.

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

Since all counties continue to be designated high risk masks are mandatory regardless of vaccination status per Gov. Steve Sisolak’s (D) Directive 045. 

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

Effective January 1, 2022, all controlled substance prescriptions MUST be transmitted to a pharmacy by electronic prescribing, except for the following prescriptions: 

1. a) Issued by a veterinarian;
   b) Issued under circumstances where:
   Electronic transmission is unavailable due to technologic or electronic failure; or
        2. The drug will be dispensed at a pharmacy located outside of this State;
   c) Issued by a practitioner who will also dispense the drug;
   d) For which electronic prescribing is prohibited by federal law;
   e) Issued pursuant to a protocol for research; or
   f) Issued under circumstances in which the practitioner determines that:
        1. The patient is unable to obtain the drug in a timely manner if the prescription is given by electronic transmission; and
        2. Delay will adversely affect the patient's medical condition. 

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

An opinion letter https://www.nacds.org/ceo/2021/0827/7-22-21-Practicing-Pharmacy-into-Nevada.pdf issued by the Board's General Counsel in July now interprets the law to require that any pharmacist who dispenses or compounds prescriptions for a controlled substance or dangerous drug for a patient located in the state of Nevada needs to be registered/licensed with the Board. This interpretation is a complete reversal of the Board's long-standing practice of requiring a non-resident pharmacy to hold a Nevada license, but not the individual pharmacists who work at the pharmacy. 

Also in Nevada, the Board of Pharmacy will hold a three-day Board meeting in Las Vegas on August 31-September 2. The Board's agenda and information on the videoconference link are available here – January 2000 Agenda (nv.gov) 

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

Thirteen counties mandate masks for everyone in a public indoor setting must wear a mask: Carson, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Humboldt, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Washoe & White Pine. Four counties require that only unvaccinated people are required to wear a mask indoors: Esmerelda, Eureka, Lander & Storey. 

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

State Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) recently issued an opinion that all pharmacists working in an out of state facility of any type must be licensed in Nevada. https://www.nacds.org/ceo/2021/0813/7-22-21-Practicing-Pharmacy-into-Nevada.pdf

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

Before the adjournment of the biennial session on May 31, legislators passed four bills NACDS and the Retail Association of Nevada promoted that expand pharmacists’ scope of practice and mandate public and private payor reimbursement for services rendered.

• SB 425 by Sen. James Settelmeyer (R) authorizes pharmacists to provide PEP/PrEP and recognizes pharmacists as health care providers mandating payment by both public & private payors.
• SB 190 by Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro (D) allows pharmacists to furnish self-administered hormonal contraceptives under BOP protocol,
• SB 229 by Sen. Julia Ratti (D) expands collaborative practice agreements and recognizes pharmacists as health care providers so they can be paid.
• AB 178 by Assemblywoman Melissa Hardy (R) authorizes payment for a fill or refill of a 30-day supply of a prescription during a declared disaster or state of emergency.

Also in Nevada, unfortunately, AB 177 by the Assistant Majority Leader Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D) that NACDS opposed was sent to the Governor. As originally filed, the bill required a pharmacy to provide a second prescription label on the vial in any language the patient requests. As a result of efforts by the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN), the bill was amended to require only a second label be attached to the vial translating the directions for use. RAN also negotiated liability protections to be added for both pharmacies and pharmacists who follow the rules.

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