Pharmacy
FDA Revises Labeling to Limit Pediatric Use of Opioid Cough and Cold Medicines
Today, the FDA announced that it is requiring safety labeling changes to limit the use of prescription opioid cough and cold medicines containing codeine or hydrocodone in children younger than 18 years old. Once the labeling changes are made, these products will not be indicated to treat cough in any pediatric population and will be…
Read MoreDistribution of Compounded Prescription Drugs for Animal Use into Colorado
In late 2017, the Colorado Board of Pharmacy (Board) sent notice to all facilities registered with the Board as nonresident pharmacies. The notification addressed the distribution of medications into Colorado. The notification states, in part, the following: “Colorado law and Board rule (CRS 12-42.5-118.5 and Board Rules 21.00.20(d)) allow a nonresident pharmacy (“Pharmacy”) to distribute…
Read MoreArkansas House Passes a Bill Requiring Pharmacist Consultants at Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
The Arkansas House of Representatives passed HB 2190, which amends the state’s medical marijuana guidelines and, amongst other things, requires medical marijuana dispensaries appoint a ‘pharmacist consultant‘ who, as a registered dispensary agent, would provide training to the dispensary at least once per year. Under HB 2190, which is now headed to the Arkansas senate,…
Read MoreColorado Pharmacists Prescribing Contraceptives Under a New Statewide Protocol
Under a new statewide protocol based on Senate Bill 16-135, only Colorado-licensed pharmacists that have completed an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited educational training program related to the prescribing of contraceptives by a pharmacist, may dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and oral hormone contraceptives to patients who are at least 18 years of age. Additionally,…
Read MoreOhio Pharmacist Suspended for Mixing Wrong Medications
The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy (Ohio Board) recently suspended a local pharmacist’s license after the pharmacist admitted to personally compounding medications so he did not have to add the total dose prescribed to the IV for particularly dangerous drugs. The pharmacist, Ernest Perrin, of Youngstown, OH, indicated he did this to reduce costs. A…
Read MoreColorado Pharmacists Can Prescribe Contraception
With the passage of Colorado SB 16-135, which allows the Boards of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medicine to collaborate on statewide protocols to address public health needs and improve patient outcomes, Colorado becomes the third state to authorize pharmacists to prescribe oral contraception. Once trained, qualified pharmacists will screen all patients seeking pharmacist-prescribed contraception for potential…
Read MoreNew Jersey signs Five-Day Opioid Prescription Bill into Law
Last week, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law Assembly Bill 3, which, among other things: 1. Limits doctors’ ability to issue first-time opioid prescriptions for more than five days; 2. Mandates that doctors create a pain-management treatment plan regarding the use of opioids and review prescriptions every three months; and 3. Requires doctors…
Read MoreAlabama's Proposed Action to Reschedule Seven Controlled Substances
The Alabama Department of Public Health recently filed a “Notice of Intended Action” to amend Alabama’s current Controlled Substance List by rescheduling seven substances to a higher schedule due to the potentials of abuse as recommended by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. The seven substances the Alabama Department of Public Health proposes to reclassify…
Read MoreOhio Pharmacy Law: Expanding the Powers of the Pharmacist
Ohio House Bill 188 (HB 188), which passed last year, greatly expands the role of the Ohio pharmacist by streamlining the collaborative practice agreement paperwork and allowing physicians to enter into an agreement with multiple pharmacists to manage drug therapy for their patients. Under an Ohio collaborative practice agreement, pharmacists can order blood or urine…
Read MoreIn-Home Pharmacist Visits for the Elderly: An Illinois Test Program.
The State of Illinois is testing a new program where pharmacists visit elderly patients at their homes and counsel them on their prescriptions. According to multiple studies, up to two-thirds of medications prescribed by doctors are taken incorrectly. In an effort to address this, the Illinois Department of Aging has partnered with suburban Chicago based…
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