Title of Regulation: 18VAC110-20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Pharmacy (amending 18VAC110-20-106, 18VAC110-20-270).

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: October 28, 2009.

Agency Contact: Elizabeth Scott Russell, RPh, Executive Director, Board of Pharmacy, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233-1463, telephone (804) 367-4456, FAX (804) 527-4472, or email scotti.russell@dhp.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments correct an error resulting from recent amendments made to 18VAC110-20-106 B and conform 18VAC110-20-270 B to § 54.1-3320 of the Code of Virginia.

The amendment to 18VAC110-20-106 B reinserts a reference to 18VAC110-20-90 to specify that approved continuing education programs must either have approval from the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) or be approved by the Board of Pharmacy.

18VAC110-20-270 B provides that a pharmacist shall determine the number of pharmacy interns, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy technician trainees he can safely and competently supervise at one time; however, the amendment conforms the language to § 54.1-3320 of the Code of Virginia by limiting the number of persons acting as pharmacy technicians supervised at one time to four.

18VAC110-20-106. Requirements for continued competency.

A. A pharmacy technician shall be required to have completed a minimum of 0.5 CEUs or five contact hours of approved continuing education for each annual renewal of registration. Hours in excess of the number required for renewal may not be transferred or credited to another year.

B. An approved continuing education program shall meet the requirements as set forth in subsection B of 18VAC110-20-90 or subsection B of 18VAC110-20-100.

C. Upon written request of a pharmacy technician, the board may grant an extension of up to one year in order for the pharmacy technician to fulfill the continuing education requirements for the period of time in question. The granting of an extension shall not relieve the pharmacy technician from complying with current year requirements. Any subsequent extension shall be granted for good cause shown.

D. Original certificates showing successful completion of continuing education programs shall be maintained by the pharmacy technician for a period of three years following the renewal of his registration. The pharmacy technician shall provide such original certificates to the board upon request in a manner to be determined by the board.

Part VII
Prescription Order and Dispensing Standards

18VAC110-20-270. Dispensing of prescriptions; certification of completed prescriptions; supervision of pharmacy technicians.

A. In addition to the acts restricted to a pharmacist in § 54.1-3320 A of the Code of Virginia, a pharmacist shall provide personal supervision of compounding of extemporaneous preparations by pharmacy technicians.

B. A pharmacist shall determine the number of pharmacy interns, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy technician trainees he can safely and competently supervise at one time; however, no pharmacist shall supervise more than four persons acting as pharmacy technicians at one time.

C. After the prescription has been prepared and prior to the delivery of the order, the pharmacist shall inspect the prescription product to verify its accuracy in all respects, and place his initials on the record of dispensing as a certification of the accuracy of, and the responsibility for, the entire transaction. Such record showing verification of accuracy shall be maintained on a pharmacy record for the required time period of two years, unless otherwise specified in regulation.

D. If a pharmacist declines to fill a prescription for any reason other than the unavailability of the drug prescribed, he shall record on the back of the prescription the word "declined"; the name, address, and telephone number of the pharmacy; the date filling of the prescription was declined; and the signature of the pharmacist.

E. If a pharmacist determines from a prescriber or by other means, including the use of his professional judgment, that a prescription presented for dispensing is a forgery, the pharmacist shall not return the forged prescription to the person presenting it. The forged prescription may be given to a law-enforcement official investigating the forgery; or it shall be retained for a minimum of 30 days before destroying it, in the event it is needed for an investigative or other legitimate purpose.