ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-seventh Legislature

First Regular Session

House: HHS DPA 12-0-0-0

HB 2627: pharmacies; emergency authority

Sponsor: Representative Weninger, LD 13

Caucus & COW

Overview

Requires the State Board of Pharmacy (Board) to adopt rules to allow pharmacies that are owned by a health system to compound and repackage prescription drugs on a non-patient specific basis for their patients during a state of emergency. Specifies that a pharmacist's authority to compound or repackage prescriptions ends when the declared state of emergency is terminated.

History

If a natural disaster or terrorist attack occurs and, as a consequence of the natural disaster or terrorist attack, a state of emergency is declared by the Governor or by a county, city or town pursuant to its authority, resulting in individuals being unable to refill existing prescriptions, the Board must cooperate with this state and the county, city or town to ensure the provision of drugs, devices and professional services to the public.

When a state of emergency has been declared, a pharmacist may work in the affected county, city or town and may dispense a one-time emergency refill prescription of up to a 30-day supply of a prescribed medication if both of the following apply: 1) in the pharmacist's professional opinion the medication is essential to the maintenance of life or to the continuation of therapy; and 2) the pharmacist makes a good faith effort to reduce the information to a written prescription marked "emergency prescription" and then files and maintains the prescription as required by law.

The Board may adopt rules for the provision of pharmaceutical care and drug and device delivery during a declared emergency that is the consequence of a natural disaster or terrorist attack, including the use of temporary or mobile pharmacy facilities and nonresident licensed pharmacy professionals. A pharmacist's authority to dispense prescriptions ends when the declared state of emergency is terminated (A.R.S. § 32-1910).

Provisions

1. Requires the Board to adopt rules to allow pharmacies that are owned by a health system to compound and repackage prescription drugs on a non-patient specific basis for the patients of that health system during a declared state of emergency. (Sec. 1)

2. Adds that a pharmacist's authority to compound or repackage prescriptions ends when the declared state of emergency is terminated. (Sec. 1)

3. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1)

Amendments

Committee on Health & Human Services

1. Requires the Board to adopt rules to allow pharmacies that are owned by a heath system to compound and repackage prescription drugs on a nonpatient-specific basis for the patients of that health system during a declared emergency that is the consequence of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

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5. HB 2627

6. Initials AG/BG Page 0 Caucus & COW

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