Rulemaking action by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy has been published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin as follows: 

Adopted

ARC 5541C has been adopted and amends Chapter 10, “Controlled Substances”

  • This rulemaking temporarily adds two substances to the Iowa Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in response to similar scheduling action taken by the DEA.

  • The rulemaking will be effective May 12, 2021.

ARC 5542C has been adopted and amends Chapter 3, “Pharmacy Technicians,” and Chapter 6, “General Pharmacy Practice”

  • The amendments:

    • Require technicians to be registered prior to commencing employment in a pharmacy or as part of a technician training program (beginning July 1, 2021), 

    • Modify the renewal period for certified pharmacy technicians to match their national certification and to align with renewal processes for other licenses and registrations,

    • Allow the board to assess a $15 fee for written verification of a registration, 

    • Provide more broad language relating to the delegation of non-clinical pharmacy functions to a pharmacy technician beyond those related solely to dispensing,

    • Prohibit a pharmacy license holder from requiring a supervising pharmacist to delegate functions to a technician against the pharmacist’s professional judgment, 

    • Require pharmacy technicians to report to the board within 30 days of any criminal conviction or disciplinary action taken,

    • Simplify, clarify, and condense rules,

    • Incorporate language reflecting the board’s new online application process, and 

    • Update references.

  • The rulemaking is effective May 12, 2021 (with the exception of the registration requirement being effective July 1, 2021)

ARC 5543C has been adopted and amends Chapter 5, “Pharmacy Support Persons”

  • The amendments:

    • Require pharmacy support persons (PSPs) to be registered prior to commencing employment in a pharmacy (beginning July 1, 2021),

    • Modify the structure of late renewal and reactivation process and penalties to match the structure implemented for other licenses and registrations of the board,

    • Allow the board to assess a $15 fee for written verification of a registration,

    • Provide more broad language relating to the delegation of nontechnical pharmacy functions to a PSP beyond those related solely to dispensing,

    • Prohibit a license holder from requiring a supervising pharmacist to delegate functions to a PSP against the pharmacist’s professional judgment,

    • Require PSPs to report to the board within 30 days of any criminal conviction or disciplinary action taken,

    • Simplify, clarify, and condense rules,

    • Incorporate language reflecting the board’s new online application process, and update references.

  • The rulemaking is effective May 12, 2021 (with the exception of the registration requirement being effective July 1, 2021).

ARC 5544C has been adopted and amends Chapter 4, “Pharmacist-Interns”

  • The amendments:

    • Provide consistency in the experiential training required of pharmacist-interns who are graduates of United States pharmacy programs and foreign pharmacy programs who are candidates for licensure in Iowa;

    • Provide consistent language with other board rules relating to the use of an International Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in lieu of a social security number;

    • Simplify the subrule relating to the delegated functions of a pharmacist-intern, 

    • Remove the reference to a license surcharge for the board’s professional monitoring program, which the board no longer assesses; 

    • Allow the board to assess a $15 fee for verification of an intern registration or certification of intern hours; 

    • Provide language relating to the required board notice following criminal or disciplinary action; 

    • Adds the term “student-pharmacist” as an additional permissible title; and 

    • Rearrange rules for clarity.

  • The rulemaking is effective May 12, 2021.

ARC 5545C has been adopted and amends Chapter 37, “Iowa Prescription Monitoring Program”

  • The amendments implement changes made to the Iowa Code during the 2020 Legislative Session, including the reporting of Schedule V controlled substances to the database and veterinarian access to program data, and revise the definition of “health care professional.”

  • The rulemaking is effective May 12, 2021.