In mid-January, NACDS and other pharmacy industry leaders participated in the Texas Pharmacy Association’s Pharmacy Partners Council. The Council provides a forum for corporate and association leaders to foster a dialogue to broaden and strengthen shared priorities to further the pharmacy profession. Pharmacy Partners Council members in attendance included representatives from Abbvie, Alkermes, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Dynavax, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer, McKesson, Cardinal Health, Pharmacists Mutual, HEB, Walgreens, and NACDS.
Also in Texas… At the quarterly meeting of the Board of Pharmacy, the Board addressed rule making on several issues that were related to bills championed by NACDS. They adopted final rules on the new safe disposal of controlled substances law, HB 2088 which mandates that pharmacies provide written notice to patients receiving Schedule II prescriptions of a website that provides the locations of drug take back facilities. The Board adopted language that would allow in store signage, in addition to written or electronic notification, to satisfactorily meet the requirement of the bill.
Also in Texas... The Board also discussed the parameters that are required for the new law mandating e-prescribing for controlled substances. The Board agreed to include the language that veterinarians are exempt from the mandate, and they clarified that pharmacists will not be responsible for knowing who has a waiver from the mandate. Regarding physician waivers, the Board staff maintained that their only responsibility is to create the framework for the waiver policy, and that the Medical Board will be responsible for promulgating the specific requirements for waivers and be responsible for accepting or denying waiver applications. Public comment will be accepted on EPCS waivers at the May 5, 2020 meeting.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.