On May 6th, the Board of Pharmacy updated is waiver temporarily authorizing registered pharmacists, intern pharmacists, and pharmaceutical technicians to perform COVID-19. The guidance can be accessed here.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Nellis Air Force Base Pharmacy (NAFBP) notified the state Board of Pharmacy that all people not located on the base, mostly veterans and their family members, temporarily will not be able to pick up prescriptions at the Base. Since Nevada law requires that these prescriptions be transferred and filled, approximately 16,000 refills per month, must be transferred to Nevada retail pharmacies. NACDS members are working with NAFBP staff to facilitate these transfers. To assist with the transfers and refills, please refer to NAC 639.713 – 639.7145 (and 21 CFR § 1306.25 where applicable) and NRS 639.2394.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske announced that the June 9, 2020 primary election will be conducted entirely through mail-in ballot due to concerns and uncertainty related to COVID-19
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Governor Steve Sisolak (D) signed an emergency regulation promulgated by the Board of Pharmacy aimed at preventing hoarding of the drugs. The regulation prohibits the prescribing and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for a COVID-19 diagnosis, requires an ICD-10 code on prescriptions for the drugs and limits the prescription amount to a 30-day supply for the drugs.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
In response to an invitation by Nevada Senator Nicole Cannizzaro and her Committee to Conduct an Interim Study Concerning the Costs of Prescription Drugs authorized by Senate Bill 276 (2019), NACDS prepared comments for our in-state partner, Liz MacMenamin with the Retail Association of Nevada, to present to legislators at the second of five meetings held on February 28th. Other panelists testifying were representatives from PCMA, health plans, BIOS, PhRMA, generic manufacturers, AARP, and the culinary union. The purpose of the committee is to identify solutions for drafting legislation for the 2021 session. For more information go to – https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/InterimCommittee/REL/Interim2019/Committee/1574/Meetings
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) appointed three new members to the seven-member Board of Pharmacy – public member Richard Tomasso, hospital pharmacist Krystal Freitas, and pharmacist Helen Parks who will serve as president. There is still one vacant pharmacist seat.
Also in Nevada… NACDS submitted comments supporting a proposed rule allowing pharmacists to delegate access to run the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) reports to delegates including intern pharmacists, pharmaceutical technicians or pharmaceutical technicians in training. This rulemaking serves to eliminate some the administrative barriers that pharmacists encounter when running PDMP reports.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) held a press conference this week announcing aggressive action his Administration is taking against the Board of Pharmacy. Apparently, a 2005 law requiring fingerprinting and criminal background checks for applicants seeking wholesale pharmacy licenses was never implemented despite the fact that the Board collected fees from the applicants. The Governor announced that he will be making new appointments to the Board, and that the 10-month investigation being conducted by two independent agencies will continue.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
At the July 18 Board of Pharmacy workshop meeting, the Board considered changing the ratio of pharmacist and pharmaceutical technician (currently 1:3 since 2006) to 1:8 ratio where a pharmacist can supervise up to 8 technicians or up to 5 technicians and 3 technicians-in-training. Unfortunately, board members decided to pursue adopting a 1:4 ratio and removing the ability of a clerk, defined as an individual who is not a pharmacist, intern pharmacist, pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician in training, from performing any task in a pharmacy where they come into contact with any prescription drug that is not packaged for final sale and verified by a pharmacist. This issue will be on the Board’s Workshop Agenda at its Wednesday-Thursday, September 4-5 meeting in Reno.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
On June 7, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed into law a bill the Retail Association of Nevada and NACDS promoted mandating that by Friday, January 1, 2021, all controlled substances prescriptions be submitted electronically. Our bill sponsor Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D) said, “With the signing of Assembly Bill 310, Nevada now joins the growing number of states that have passed mandatory e-prescribing laws in an effort to combat the opioid crisis.” Frierson added, “Electronic prescribing has proven to be an effective tool for reducing unlawful and fraudulent prescriptions, tracking and monitoring medication regimens, and reigning in doctor shopping.”
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.