Alabama Board of Pharmacy

🌟 Thank You! 🌟

A huge thanks to everyone who attended the AACP/NABP District 3 meeting in Mobile! Your insights and enthusiasm were incredible. We were thrilled to host you all and look forward to many more meetings together!

It's our favorite time of year as we get to celebrate the newest members of the Alabama pharmacy community. This week we are mailing out 96 new pharmacist licenses!

Congratulations to all our new licensees. We can't wait to see the incredible contributions you will make to healthcare in Alabama.

Come join us as we host the joint AACP/NABP District 3 Meeting alongside Auburn University & Samford University! The deadline to book your hotel is July 15th, so hurry and snag a room while you can! Registration, hotel info, and a draft agenda can all be found at nabpdistrict3.org.

Board Week looks a little different this month! Don't forget to tune in to our Board meeting TOMORROW at 9:00 am CST, not Wednesday! Check out our website for the agenda and webex info.

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APPROACHING!
ALBOP is currently accepting applications for an administrative assistant/procurement coordinator position.
Minimum qualifications:
Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; 4-year degree preferred.
Experience: Minimum of 3-4 years experience in customer service or similar role. Experience in purchasing preferred.
For more information & full job description, email [email protected].

Looking to learn more about the outsourcing facility industry? Check out this virtual conference hosted by the FDA Compounding Quality Center of Excellence! The conference will convene stakeholders from across the compounding industry to discuss emerging trends and best practices through presentations, panels, and interactive sessions. Registration is free.

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-quality-center-excellence-annual-conference-09112023 -information

🤓 Pharmacists! Make sure your email address is accurate in our system by THIS Wednesday, August 16th in order to receive a ballot to vote on your next Board member! Click the Pharmacist tab on our website to double check & update if needed. Ballots plan to be emailed out September 1st 🗓

ALBOP is currently accepting applications for an administrative assistant/procurement coordinator position.
Minimum qualifications:
Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; 4-year degree preferred.
Experience: Minimum of 3-4 years experience in customer service or similar role. Experience in purchasing preferred.

For more information & full job description, email [email protected].

PHARMACISTS- We will be sending out ballots very soon to vote for your next Board member! Don't forget...we are moving to
📧 ELECTRONIC VOTING ONLY 📧 this year. So make sure those emails are accurate & be on the lookout for a ballot in your inbox September 1st!

We are so proud of Alabama pharmacist, Emily Eddy, for showcasing her courage in helping this patient in need. Pharmacists truly are superheroes!

❗ATTENTION TECHNICIANS❗
If you initially registered between January 1, 2020 - July 1, 2023, check out this post to make sure you're compliant with our technician training requirement before you go to renew! This is different than the vaccination training. More information can be found on our website under the Technician tab 💻

Join in the USP 800 discussion in July!

We are so proud of you, Susan! 🎉 Thank you for all of your hard work over the years protecting each and every citizen of Alabama.

We are so excited to now be offering CE credit for our Alabama licensed pharmacists & technicians! 👏

DEA & SAMHSA have issued the “Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications”

This extends the flexibility on telehealth rules that were adopted during the COVID-19 PHE and permits the prescribing of certain controlled medications without an in-person evaluation to improve access to necessary medications. It took effect on May 11 and will be in place until November 11, 2023.

For more information, visit the link below.

DEA, SAMHSA Extend COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescribing Controlled Medications for Six Months While Considering Comments from the Public Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts we inform you of the death of our colleague and friend, Edward R. Braden. Eddie joined the Alabama Board of Pharmacy as an Investigator in 2003, and became the Chief Investigator in 2015, serving a total of 20 years. An endowed memorial scholarship has been created to honor Eddie's memory and dedication to public safety. Those interested can scan the QR code for more information. Eddie will be extremely missed by our ALBOP team, and we send our deepest condolences to the Braden family.

📣 New details for the March Board meeting!

The Board meeting scheduled for this Wednesday, March 15th has been CANCELED. We will post at a future date with further information.

🚨LATEST SCAM ALERT🚨

❗ATTENTION PHARMACISTS ❗
Help ADPH address potential oseltamivir (Tamiflu) shortages! Click the URL below, or copy & paste it into your browser.
https://al.readyop.com/fs/4cLm/09341063

***UPDATE: WEBSITE IS NOW LIVE!***

Our website is currently down due to a server wide issue affecting hundreds of thousands of websites this weekend. We will update you when the server is back online. You will not be able to renew until our website is up & running. Thank you for your patience!

December is HERE already?! Pharmacists, make sure you get those renewals submitted!

PHARMACISTS:
Do you currently provide immunizations? Please remember you need TWO hours of CE related to immunizations to renew this year. As long as it is ACPE-approved and is related to immunizations, you are compliant with the CE requirement. It does not have to be live.

❗️CLARIFICATION ON ALLEGED DEA POLICY ❗️
We have just received the following update from DEA:

“In the past few months, DEA has received an increasing number of questions concerning pharmacists’ ability to add or modify information—like a patient’s address—on paper prescriptions. To address these questions, DEA has been reviewing the relevant regulations and working to draft new regulations to address this issue. As an interim measure, pharmacists are permitted to adhere to state regulations or policy regarding those changes that a pharmacist may make to a schedule II prescription after oral consultation with the prescriber.”

This is the only guidance we have been given at this time. Click the following link to view ALBOP's policy statement.https://albop.com/oodoardu/2021/04/AUGUST-2010-Schedule-II-Prescription-Changes-FAQ-.pdf

Our system will be down tonight, 8/18, between the hours of 7pm-7am CST for maintenance upgrades. Please wait until tomorrow before submitting any applications or updates to your profile.

What can be changed on a controlled substance prescription?

ALBOP received this guidance from DEA today:
Title 21 CFR 1306.05(a) Manner of Issuance of Prescriptions states what information is required to be on a prescription when it is prepared by the practitioner:
“All prescriptions for controlled substances shall be dated as of, and signed on, the day when issued and shall bear the full name and address of the patient, the drug name, strength, dosage form, quantity prescribed, directions for use, and the name, address and registration number of the practitioner.”

DEA is currently reviewing the relevant regulations found under 21 CFR part 1300 to end, and working to draft regulations to address what, if any, information a pharmacist can add to a prescription. DEA encourages you to monitor the website www.regulations.gov for any new Notices of Proposed Rulemaking.

ALBOP is also communicating with the Board of Medical Examiners so physicians are aware.

Regulations.gov

RECENT UPDATES TO EUA RELATING TO PRESCRIBING OF PAXLOVID

On July 6, 2022, in a letter to Pfizer, Inc from the FDA, the FDA has now concluded that a pharmacist may prescribe Paxlovid only pursuant to strict compliance to certain conditions. While it is your responsibility to read and understand the entirety of the referenced letter, the Board directs your specific attention to the following portions appearing on page 4 of the letter.

· PAXLOVID may also be prescribed for an individual patient by a state-licensed pharmacist under the following conditions:
1️⃣Sufficient information is available, such as through access to health records less than 12 months old or consultation with a health care provider in an established provider-patient relationship with the individual patient, to assess renal and hepatic function; AND
2️⃣Sufficient information is available, such as through access to health records, patient reporting of medical history, or consultation with a health care provider in an established provider-patient relationship with the individual patient, to obtain a comprehensive list of medications (prescribed and non-prescribed) that the patient is taking to assess for potential drug interactions.
· The use of PAXLOVID covered by this authorization must be in accordance with the authorized Fact Sheets.

Here is the link to the full FDA updated Paxlovid EUA:

www.fda.gov

ALBOP has been receiving phone calls inquiring about requirements of a prescription written by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Please read the Administrative Code from ALBME discussing the requirements for each.

ALBME 540-X-8-.11(7) for Nurse Practitioners:
When prescribing legend drugs, a certified registered nurse practitioner shall use a prescription form which includes all of the following:
(a) The name, medical practice site address and
telephone number of the collaborating physician or covering
physician;
(b) The name of the certified registered nurse
practitioner;
(c) The medical practice site address and telephone
number of the certified registered nurse practitioner if
different from that of the collaborating physician;
(d) The certified registered nurse practitioner’s
registered nurse license number assigned by the Board of
Nursing;
(e) The words “Product Selection Permitted” printed
on one side of the prescription form directly beneath a
signature line;
(f) The words “Dispense as written” printed on one
side of the prescription form directly beneath a signature line.
(g) The date that the prescription is issued to the patient.

540-X-7-.28(9) for Physician Assistants:
When prescribing legend drugs or controlled drugs
a physician assistant shall use a prescription form which
includes all of the following:
(a) The name, medical practice site address and
telephone number of the physician supervising the physician
assistant;
(b) The medical practice site address and telephone
number of the physician assistant, if different from the address
of the supervising physician;
(c) The physician assistant's license number assigned
by the Board and the QACSC registration number, when a
controlled substance is prescribed;
(d) The words "Product Selection Permitted" printed
on one side of the prescription form directly underneath a
signature line; and
(e) The words "Dispense as written" printed on one
side of the prescription form directly underneath a signature
line.

At our emergency meeting on Friday, the Board passed an emergency Rule to extend current supplies of contrast media for medically necessary imaging and testing of patients.

In order to care for patients as necessary, the following may be done to extend the current supply:

1. Assignment of a 4-day BUD at controlled room temperature
2. A single use container may be entered or punctured only in ISO Class 5 or cleaner air and may be used up to 12 hours after initial entry or puncture as long as the storage requirements during that 12-hour period are maintained.

This Emergency Rule is in effect until September 10, 2022. You can view it online by visiting www.albop.com → Resources → Statutes & Rules.