The Health Care Committee announced a meeting on December 16 and posted an agenda including the Medication Optimization Study and the Prescription Drug Study.

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

Gov. Doug Burgum (R) issued Executive Order No. 2021-17, convening a Special Session of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly on November 8. Both the House – Day 1 and Senate – Day 1 agendas have been posted along with the bills submitted to the Delayed Bills Committees for the 2021 Special Session.

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

The Board of Pharmacy distributed its September 2021 newsletter.  Highlights include the following.  Please see newsletter for details and additional information.

• DEA issued a direct final rule amending its regulations that either the purchaser or the supplier may enter a supplier’s DEA registration number on the single-sheet DEA Form 222 effective October 18.
• Drug Supply Chain Security Act Updates
• SB 2221 – Practice Changes – previously published in the June 2021 newsletter with edits

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

Below are highlights from the June issue of the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy newsletter. See the newsletter for additional details and more information. 

• Signed on March 22, 2021, by Gov. Doug Burgum (R), SB 2221 includes three key provisions including  

• • lowering the age for immunizations and vaccinations to at least three years of age upon an order from a prescriber or by written protocol with a physicians or nurse practitioner;  
  • permitting a pharmacist to bill for dispensing a one-time emergency refill of up to a 30-day supply of the prescribed medication under certain conditions and 
  • defining “public health issues” and establishing limited prescriptive authority through a statewide protocol for public health issues within the pharmacist’s scope of practice with the Board of Pharmacy adopting rules to establish standards of care. 

• SB 2294, legislation increasing the retail sales quantity from 2 grams to 2.4 grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine base, was signed by Gov. Doug Burgum (R) on March 23, 2021. This new law is effective August 1, 2021. The 30-day sales limit remains unchanged.

• SB 2279, permitting the Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules to establish requirements to allow a pharmacy technician to administer a drug under the immediate supervision of a pharmacist, was signed on March 25, 2021. The Board is preparing to initiate the rulemaking process to operationalize this for current registered technicians who have completed the requirements and meet the standards the Board outlines. 

• Please note section on “Immunization and Medication Administration Guidance” that includes the two ways pharmacists and interns may update and maintain “administration authority” on their license. 

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

Gov. Doug Burgum (R) signed several bills of interest to chain pharmacy as emergency measures:

• SB 2221, lowering the age for immunizations and vaccinations to at least three years of age upon an order from a prescriber or by written protocol with a physicians or nurse practitioner; permitting a pharmacist to bill for dispensing a one-time emergency refill of up to a 30-day supply of the prescribed medication under certain conditions, and defining “public health issues” and establishing limited prescriptive authority through a statewide protocol for public health issues within the pharmacist’s scope of practice with the Board of Pharmacy adopting rules to establish standards of care, was signed on March 22.
• SB 2279, permitting the Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules to establish requirements to allow a pharmacy technician to administer a drug under the immediate supervision of a pharmacist, was signed on March 25.

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

SB 2294, increasing the retail sales quantity from 2 grams to 2.4 grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine base, was signed by Gov. Doug Burgum (R) on March 23, 2021.

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

Emergency rule of the Medical Board adopts regulations under 21 NCAC 32B to establish the restricted drug list during the new coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. The rule also establishes standards for pharmacists to receive and document oral prescriptions for restricted drugs. The rule is effective April 6, 2020 and expires June 5, 2020.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

North Dakota Medicaid issued an update with information about personnel changes in the Pharmacy Services team

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.