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

Adopted 

ARC 6416C has been adopted and amends Chapter 3, ā€œPharmacy Techniciansā€, and Chapter 6, ā€œGeneral Pharmacy Practiceā€.

  • The rulemaking provides for  pharmacist delegation of technical functions relating to prescription processing activities under specific conditions (e.g., data entry or insurance processing) to an Iowa-registered certified pharmacy technician who is performing the delegated functions at a location other than where the pharmacist is physically located, seeking to continue the practice initiated under the pandemicā€™s public health emergency, which require: 
    • Adequate security and supervision at all times to prevent unauthorized access to, and unauthorized storage/transfer of, confidential patient information or patient records,
    • The supervising pharmacist having real-time access to the prescription processing system the technician is using or patient records which the technician is processing,
    • The technician having access to the supervising pharmacist via a real-time communication mechanism, and 
    • The prescription processing system documentation of the functions performed by the technician.
  • The rulemaking becomes effective August 31, 2022.

ARC 6417C has been adopted and amends Chapter 8, ā€œUniversal Practice Standardsā€, and Chapter 19, ā€œNonresident Pharmacy Practiceā€.

  • The rulemaking provides:
    • Modification of the handling of ownership changes for resident and nonresident pharmacies, 
    • A requirement that nonresident pharmacies that directly dispense to Iowa patients provide evidence of a toll-free telephone number with access to a pharmacist who has access to the patientā€™s records during the pharmacyā€™s regular business hours, and
    • The process by which a pharmacy can temporarily relocate pharmacy operations in response to an exceptional circumstance or disaster rendering the pharmacy unsafe.
  • The rulemaking becomes effective August 31, 2022.

ARC 6418C has been adopted and amends Chapter 12, ā€œPrecursor Substancesā€.

  • The amendment adds one chemical as a precursor substance in response to similar action taken by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
  • The rulemaking becomes effective August 31, 2022.

Notice of Intended Action

ARC 6421C has been published as a Notice of Intended Action to amend Chapter 23, ā€œCare Facility Pharmacy Practice.ā€ 

  • The proposed amendment (a result of an overall 5-year review and subsequent recommendation from a care facility pharmacy stakeholder) provides a time frame for a care facility to submit documentation to the provider pharmacy relating to the administration of vaccines provided by the pharmacy for an immunization or screening program.
  • Comments may be submitted until 4:30pm on August 16, 2022.

ARC 6422C has been published as a Notice of Intended Action to amend Chapter 41, ā€œOutsourcing Facilitiesā€.

  • The proposed amendments (a result of an overall 5-year review) provides:
    • More detailed information for applicants relating to the inspection requirement provided in Iowa law,
    • Clarification on when a change of ownership is determined to have occurred which necessitates a license change,
    • Late penalty fees to be assessed when an outsourcing facility is not timely in submitting an application for license changes, and
    • A fee to be assessed to a licensee for written verification of a license when the Boardā€™s online verification system is available at no charge.
  • Comments may be submitted until 4:30pm on August 16, 2022.

ARC 6423C has been published for Notice of Intended Action to amend Chapter 14, ā€œPublic Information and Inspection of Recordsā€.

  • The proposed amendments (a result of an overall 5-year review) update the manner in which records are maintained by the Board and correct Iowa Code references.
  • Comments may be submitted until 4:30pm on August 16, 2022.

ARC 6424C has been published for Notice of Intended Action to amend Chapter 12, ā€œPrecursor Substancesā€.

  • The proposed amendment (a result of an overall 5-year review) provides updated application processes and corrects a cross-reference.
  • Comments may be submitted until 4:30pm on August 16, 2022.

ARC 6425C has been published for Notice of Intended Action to amend Chapter 10, ā€œControlled Substancesā€.

  • The proposed amendment temporarily places one substance (a new FDA-approved medication to treat seizures) into Schedule V of the Iowa CSA in response to similar action taken by the federal DEA.
  • Comments may be submitted until 4:30pm on August 16, 2022.