Colorado State Board of Pharmacy Legislation Update No. 2

HB14-1083 – Acute Treatment Units Stock Medications

• HB14-1083 – Acute treatment units (ATU) provide medically supervised behavioral health treatment services to individuals who suffer from psychiatric disorders. Current law does not allow an ATU to have an onsite stock of medications. The bill allows an ATU to procure, store, order, dispense, and administer prescription medications and to receive a supply of emergency kits or starter doses from a registered prescription drug outlet or licensed hospital for patient treatment. Implementation of this bill will require rulemaking by the State Board of Pharmacy, the updating of applications and outreach. Rulemaking will occur on August 21, 2014.

HB14-1290 – Telepharmacy Remote Pharmacy Outlet

• HB14-1290 adds to the definition of “other outlet” under the statutes governing the practice of pharmacy a telepharmacy outlet located more than 20 miles from the nearest pharmacy. A prescribing practitioner cannot own a telepharmacy, and the State Board of Pharmacy is authorized to impose additional telepharmacy ownership restrictions by rule. Implementation of this bill will require rulemaking by the State Board of Pharmacy and the updating of applications. It is anticipated there will be a very small number of telepharmacy registering as an “other outlet.”

SB14-095 – Pharmacies Compounding Drugs For Hospitals

• SB14-095 Under previous law, a prescription drug outlet could only distribute compounded drugs for office use to practitioners who are authorized to prescribe drugs. The bill allows a prescription drug outlet to also distribute compounded drugs to a hospital located in Colorado.

HB14-1173 – Sunset Controlled Substances Abuse Act

• HB14-1173 extends the “Colorado Licensing of Controlled Substances Act” (Act) until 2025. While the provisions of this bill fall under the jurisdiction of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), a portion of the act affects the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program which is administered by DORA’s Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO). Implementation of this bill will primarily occur at CDHS, however DPO is tasked with updating the PDMP online system. The updates required of the PDMP system and rules are also required by HB14-1283 which establishes a deadline of January 1, 2015.