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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
pharmacies; emergency authority
Purpose
Requires the rules adopted by the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy (Board) relating to the emergency provision of pharmaceutical care and drug device delivery to allow pharmacies owned by a health system to compound and repackage prescription drugs on a nonpatient-specific basis during a declared natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Background
If a natural disaster or terrorist attack occurs and, as a consequence, a state of emergency is declared by the Governor or by a county, city or town and the declared state of emergency results in individuals being unable to refill existing prescriptions, the Board must cooperate with the State of Arizona and the county, city or town to ensure the provision of drugs, devices and professional services to the public. If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor of another state and the declared state of emergency results in individuals being temporarily relocated to Arizona and unable to refill existing prescriptions, the Board must cooperate with the State of Arizona to ensure the provision of drugs, devices and professional services to the relocated individuals.
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. When a state of
emergency is declared, a pharmacist may work in the affected county, city or
town and dispense a one-time emergency refill prescription of up to a
30-day supply of the prescribed medication if: 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 files and maintains the prescription as required by law.
If the state of emergency continues for at least 21 days after the pharmacist
dispenses an emergency prescription, the pharmacist may dispense one additional
emergency refill prescription of up to a 30-day supply of the prescribed
medication. A pharmacist's authority to dispense emergency prescription refills
ends when the declared state of emergency is terminated (A.R.S.
ยง 32-1910).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires Board rules relating to the provision of pharmaceutical care and drug device delivery during a declared state of emergency to allow pharmacies owned by a health system to compound and repackage prescription drugs on a nonpatient-specific basis for patients of that health system during a declared emergency caused by a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
2. Specifies that a pharmacist's authority to compound or repackage prescriptions ends when the declared state of emergency is terminated.
3. Makes technical changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 2/17/25 DPA 12-0-0-0
3rd Read 3/4/25 58-0-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 17, 2025
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