CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP

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CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
August 2021 | Volume 50 | Number 7

CLEARINGHOUSE
                 OFFERS NUMEROUS
  DATA SHARING   BENEFITS, PROTECTS
                 PUBLIC HEALTH
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
CONTENTS

       06                                                     09                                                    01   Letter From the Chairperson

                                                                                                                    02 Policy Perspectives
                                                                                                                       The Future of Telehealth and the
                                                                                                                        Ryan Haight Act Post-Pandemic

                                                                                                                    04 I nterview With a Board Inspector
                                                                                                                        Krystal Brashears Stefanyk, CISCI

                                                                                                                    05   Association News
                                                                                                                         05 NABP Educates Consumers
                                                                                                                            on Dangers of Rogue
                                                                                                                            Online Pharmacies
                                                                                                                         08 Association Seeks Item Writers
                                                                                                                            for NABP Examinations

                                                                                                                    15   Interview With a Board Member
                                                                                                                         Julie Lanza, CPhT, CSPT

                                                                                                                    16   State Board News
                                                                                                                          alifornia Board Develops Sample
                                                                                                                         C
                                                                                                                         Collaborative Practice Agreement
                                                                                                                         for Providing MAT

                                                                                                                    17   Professional Affairs Update
                                                                                                                         FDA Warns of Biological Products
                                                                                                                         Being Offered to Patients Outside
                                                                                                                         the Scope of an Approved BLA

        Feature News                                            Association News
        Disciplinary Data Sharing Through                       NABP Inspectors Identify
        NABP Clearinghouse Offers                               Dangerous Scheme Involving
        Numerous Board Benefits,                                Over-the-Counter Insulin Products
        Protects Public Health

                                                                                                                         NABP Executive Committee
     (ISSN 2472-6850 — print; ISSN 2472-6958 —              Amy Sanchez                                                  Timothy D. Fensky      Fred M. Weaver
     online) is published 10 times a year by the National   Publications and Editorial Manager                           Chairperson            Member, District 4
     Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®)
                                                            ©2021 National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.            Caroline D. Juran      Shane R. Wendel
     to educate, to inform, and to communicate the
                                                            All rights reserved. No part of this publication may         President              Member, District 5
     objectives and programs of the Association and its
                                                            be reproduced in any manner without the written
     65 member boards of pharmacy.                                                                                       Reginald B. “Reggie”   Deborah C. Mack
                                                            permission of the executive director/secretary of the
                                                                                                                         Dilliard               Member, District 6
     The opinions and views expressed in this               National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
                                                                                                                         President-elect
     publication do not necessarily reflect the official                                                                                        Nicole L. Chopski
                                                            NABP Mission Statement
     views, opinions, or policies of NABP or any board                                                                   Lenora S. Newsome      Member, District 7
                                                            NABP is the independent, international, and
     unless expressly so stated. The subscription rate is                                                                Treasurer
                                                            impartial association that assists its member boards                                Kamlesh “Kam”
     $70 per year.                                                                                                       Bradley S. Hamilton    Gandhi
                                                            and jurisdictions for the purpose of protecting the
     National Association of Boards of Pharmacy             public health.                                               Member, District 1     Member, District 8
     1600 Feehanville Drive, Mount Prospect, IL 60056                                                                    Tejal J. Patel
     847/391-4406 | www.nabp.pharmacy                                                                                    Member, District 2     NABP Executive
     help@nabp.pharmacy                                                                                                                         Committee elections
                                                                                                                         Jeffrey J. Mesaros     are held each year
     Lemrey “Al” Carter                                                                                                  Member, District 3     at the Association’s
     Executive Director/Secretary                                                                                                               Annual Meeting.

   2 | APRIL 2020
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

                     Fellow Members,
                     We pharmacy regulators know all too well            safety at risk. We strongly encourage boards to
                     that if there’s a will, criminals can find a way.   keep up with timely reporting of disciplinary
                     Rapid advances in technology, social media          actions to the NABP Clearinghouse as a
                     sites, and the long-standing effects of the         means to further combat these risks. With
                     COVID-19 pandemic have made it easier               many licensees holding licenses in multiple
                     for bad actors to take advantage of vulnerable      states, keeping the Clearinghouse updated in a
                     consumers and threaten public health. In this       timely manner is vital to determining whether
                     issue, we delve into some of these continued        a current or prospective licensee is eligible to
                     threats, including a recent scheme involving        safely practice pharmacy or operate a licensed
                     diverted nonprescription insulin products that      facility. I wish to personally thank those board
                     was encountered by NABP surveyors during a          of pharmacy staff members who dedicated
                     routine visit to a pharmacy.                        their time to sharing their experiences using
                        The online pharmacy landscape also               the Clearinghouse and the benefits it has
                     continues to threaten patient safety, with rogue    offered them. For more information on their
                     websites and social media accounts marketing        experiences, see page 6.
Timothy D. Fensky,   fake, substandard, and counterfeit prescription        Please know that NABP is aware of the
RPh, DPh, FACA       medications. As such, NABP educates patients        many resource challenges our member
NABP Chairperson     about the risks of buying medication online         boards face in their day-to-day business. Feel
                     and, through its accreditation and verification     free to reach out to NABP staff with any
                     programs, provides patients with tools to help      challenges you may be facing in reporting to
                     them easily identify safe online pharmacies and     the Clearinghouse as we likely have solutions
                     pharmacy-related businesses.                        that can help.
                        As part of this initiative, we are pleased to       The NABP Interactive Forums are another
                     announce the launch of the newest consumer          great resource for connecting with fellow
                     campaign, which focuses on the dangers of           members and NABP staff about challenges
                     buying medication from unlicensed internet          you may be experiencing in your pursuit of
                     pharmacies and social media sites. This year,       public health protection. Make sure to save
                     the campaign places a family’s devastating          the dates for the three upcoming forums
                     loss at the forefront with the story of Ed and      taking place in person this fall/winter in
                     Mary Ternan, who lost their son Charlie to          Northbrook, IL. Dates for these events are
                     a fake prescription pill purchased through          available in the Meetings section of the NABP
                     social media in 2020. We are honored and            website. Invitations for the forums will be
                     grateful to have partnered with Ed and Mary,        sent to the executive officers soon. I’m looking
                     who are founders of the nonprofit charity           forward to these in-person discussions and
                     Song for Charlie. Throughout the campaign,          working on solutions with all of you.
                     we encourage all boards to actively
                     participate in connecting with consumers            Sincerely,
                     about these dangers. There are social media
                     posts, images, video links, and more available
                     in a social media kit that you can all access.
                     More information about the campaign is
                     available on page 5.
                        This issue also focuses on one of the largest    Timothy D. Fensky, RPh, DPh, FACA
                     responsibilities that boards of pharmacy have       NABP Chairperson
                     in public health protection – licensure. It is up
                     to us, the boards of pharmacy, to screen for
                     licensees who have failed to uphold state and
                     federal rules and regulations and put patients’

                                                                                                          AUGUST 2021 | 1
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
POLICY PERSPECTIVES

      The Future of Telehealth and the                                                                 of telemedicine over the last decade –
                                                                                                       especially in the last year – the “practice
      Ryan Haight Act Post-Pandemic                                                                    of telemedicine” as implemented by DEA
                                                                                                       under the Ryan Haight Act is narrow
                                                                                                       and outdated, requiring the patient to be
      A year into the pandemic, the coronavirus        Office of National Drug Control Policy, have    physically located in a state-licensed hospital
      disease 2019 (COVID-19) has radically            also been contemplating updates to the law      or clinic, or in the presence of another DEA-
      changed our health care system – from the        that enables providers to remotely prescribe    licensed practitioner, to be prescribed CS.
      pace at which new drugs come to market           controlled substances (CS) using telehealth.       An additional exemption available to
      to the way patients access health care and                                                       DEA under the law is for the practice of
      medications. Arguably one of the most            Telehealth Involving Controlled                 telemedicine performed by a practitioner
      dramatic shifts has been the major increase      Substances: the Ryan Haight Act                 who has obtained a special registration from
      in telehealth usage and the expansion of         At present, prescribers of CS operate under     the DEA administrator. The original Ryan
      health care services that can be provided        strict federal and state requirements for how   Haight Act suggested DEA would eventually
      using the internet. According to a Centers       and under what circumstances they can issue     issue regulations effectuating this provision.
      for Disease Control and Prevention analysis,     prescriptions to new and existing patients.     Congress reiterated the need for DEA to
      the number of telehealth visits increased        Federal requirements for CS are outlined        allow for the practice of telemedicine as
      by 50% during the first quarter of 2020,         in the 1970 Controlled Substances Act           part of the SUPPORT for Patients and
      compared with the same period in 2019.           (CSA), which granted Drug Enforcement           Communities Act in 2018. Yet, to date,
      And, generally, telehealth has been well         Administration (DEA) the authority to           DEA has not acted. Thus, even before the
      received. In addition, a study recently          establish regulations promulgating CSA          pandemic, DEA had – and continues to
      published by the COVID-19 Healthcare             requirements pertaining to the production,      have – the legal authority to allow expanded
      Coalition found that of over 2,000 patients      prescribing, and distribution of CS, and        telemedicine prescribing of CS.
      who participated in at least one telehealth      to enforce violations. In 2008, Congress
      visit during the pandemic, the majority          also added several new provisions to the        Ryan Haight Flexibility During
      found the experience overwhelmingly              CSA in passing the Ryan Haight Online           the COVID-19 Pandemic
      positive, with 79% responding that they          Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act. The           During the COVID-19 pandemic, DEA has
      were satisfied with their telehealth visit and   act was named in remembrance of Ryan            exercised its authority to waive the in-person
      73% expecting to continue using virtual          Haight who, at 18 years old, died of an         visit prescriber requirement under another
      health care services beyond the pandemic.        overdose of a combination of painkillers        exception for PHEs. Starting in March
      Just over half of those patients (51%) were      that had been prescribed to him online by       2020, DEA authorized providers to issue
      prescribed a medication during their virtual     a doctor who had never met him in person        prescriptions for CS regardless of the location
      visit and almost all (92%) found the process     and did not conduct an adequate medical         of the patient and without first conducting
      of obtaining their prescription easy.            evaluation. The painkillers were delivered      an in-person examination, provided that
         Whether those telehealth services will        by an online pharmacy that was aware            all of the following conditions are met:
      continue to be a readily available option        of the physician’s dangerous prescribing        • the prescription is issued for a
      for many patients largely depends on what        habits. As the name suggests, the act was            legitimate medical purpose by a
      actions Congress and government agencies         designed to impose legal requirements for            practitioner acting in the usual course
      take as we transition into a post-pandemic       dispensing CS through the internet, including        of their professional practice;
      world. Many of the laws and regulations          by way of “rogue” online pharmacies.            •   t he telemedicine communication
      enacted in response to the COVID-19                                                                   is conducted using an audiovisual,
      pandemic were provisional and set to expire      DEA Authority to Implement                           real-time, two-way interactive
      with the conclusion of the federal public        ‘Practice of Telemedicine’                           communication system; and
      health emergency (PHE). While the PHE            Exemptions                                      •   t he practitioner is acting in accordance
      is not expected to end this calendar year,       Recognizing that there is value in allowing          with applicable federal and state laws.
      Congress has already started to explore          licensed practitioners to prescribe CS
      which laws and regulations to make               using the internet, the Ryan Haight Act            Thus, in essence, the pandemic has forced
      permanent. Much of the federal attention         outlined several circumstances that would       DEA to embrace telehealth technology and
      has been on telehealth reimbursement for         qualify for a “practice of telemedicine”        the new channels to health care access that
      certain services through federal programs        exemption, thereby allowing practitioners       have exponentially evolved and expanded
      like Medicare. However, both members of          to prescribe CS without an initial in-person    since the Ryan Haight Act was first passed in
      Congress and federal agencies, such as the       visit. However, given the rapid evolution       2008. What remains to be seen is whether

    2 | AUGUST 2021
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
POLICY PERSPECTIVES

Libby Baney, JD                                    Jillian K. Brady, MS                             Megan S. Herber, MPH
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP                  Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP                Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

the use of these services over the last year       extent of providers’ adoption of telehealth      Forecasting the Future of
has also introduced weaknesses that are            to prescribe CS during the pandemic              Telehealth for Controlled
now being exploited in what was previously         is still largely unknown. A preliminary          Substances
a completely “closed system” for the               study conducted by RTI International has         Over the coming months, as Americans
manufacture, distribution, prescribing, and        shown that while substance use disorder          see the light at the end of the pandemic
dispensing of CS, and whether any negative         (SUD) providers embraced the adoption            tunnel, and the state and federal landscape
consequences are overshadowed by increased         of telehealth for outpatient services (97%)      continues to evolve, policymakers in
access to services.                                and group counseling (77%) during the            Congress, across federal agencies, and in
   Advocates for a DEA-established                 COVID-19 pandemic, far fewer used it to          statehouses will determine the future of
telehealth provider special registry system        prescribe buprenorphine (17%) and other          health care and whether Americans will
contend that allowing telemedicine providers       medications (16%).                               be allowed to continue to access care and
to continue to prescribe CS without a prior                                                         prescriptions virtually. While CS must be
in-person medical evaluation is critical           Do Not Forget State Laws                         handled with care and only accessed when
to patients’ access to care, especially for        Adding complexity, providers need to also        clinically appropriate, much can be done to
addiction treatment and child and adolescent       comply with state law requirements. Pre-         update federal rules to ensure that they are
mental health care. Some public health             pandemic, state laws varied as to whether        not overly restrictive and limiting access to
experts argue that DEA and state legislatures      they allowed, prohibited, or were silent on      legitimate care.
should embrace permanent changes to                the remote prescribing of CS without a prior        This article was written by Libby Baney,
the Ryan Haight Act, but only for select           in-person medical evaluation. Further, some      JD; Jillian K. Brady, MS; and Megan S.
medications. In a report conducted by the          states have prohibited online prescribing        Herber, MPH, with Faegre Drinker Biddle
George Washington University Regulatory            of CS even if there has been a prior in-         & Reath LLP. Please note, the opinions and
Studies Center, researchers argue that             person consult. During the pandemic, states      views expressed by Faegre Drinker Biddle &
DEA and the Substance Abuse and Mental             embraced the expanded use of telehealth          Reath do not necessarily reflect the official
Health Services Administration should              and many are already moving to make              views, opinions, or policies of NABP or any
execute their legal authority to extend            the temporary provisions permanent. For          member board unless expressly stated.
flexibilities after the PHE by waiving the         example, in July 2020, New Hampshire
in-person visit requirement for providers          passed a law eliminating the requirement for
issuing buprenorphine prescriptions to             an in-person exam prior to a virtual visit for
treat opioid addiction. They contend that          providers treating patients with SUD. And in
easing restrictions will allow patients in rural   January 2021, Florida lawmakers in both the
communities who lack access to nearby              state’s House and Senate introduced bills that
opioid treatment centers to receive care           would permanently allow the prescription of
and improve compliance. Real-world data            CS via telemedicine.
demonstrating the effectiveness of DEA’s
pandemic policy changes will take years.
Unlike with other telehealth services, the

                                                                                                                                        AUGUST 2021 | 3
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
INTERVIEW WITH A BOARD INSPECTOR

                                               Krystal Brashears Stefanyk, CISCI
                                               Director of Inspections, North Carolina Board of Pharmacy

                                               How long have you been serving                    In North Carolina, do inspectors also
                                               as an inspector for the Board?                    conduct investigations for other
                                               What was your role prior to                       health regulatory boards?
                                               working for the Board?                            We work in conjunction with other regulatory
                                               I was an inspector for nine years and associate   boards if it is related to pharmacy and
                                               director of investigations and inspections        whatever professional practice a regulatory
                                               for three years. I have been director of          board is investigating. For example, if an
                                               inspections for the past three years. Prior       investigation involves a dispensing physician
                                               to joining the Board, I was in college,           or nurse practitioner who was dispensing,
                                               obtaining a degree in criminal justice and        we work those cases with the Medical Board
                                               also working as a pharmacy technician.            or Board of Nursing, respectively. Those
                                                                                                 investigations are pretty straightforward, and
                                               What tools or skills are a must-have              we are there to look at the dispensing side.
              North Carolina                   in a pharmacy inspector’s toolkit?                   We also work a lot of cases with Drug
             Board of Pharmacy                 One of the most important skills to have is       Enforcement Administration (DEA). Those
                                               logical thinking. The best class I ever took      cases can be pretty complicated. I have
                                               in college, which has helped me every day in      worked an investigation involving a large
                     Number of Board
                                               my career, had nothing to do with criminal        volume of diversion, where over 100,000
                     Members
                     5 pharmacist members      justice or pharmacy. It was a deductive logic     dosage units were taken out of a pharmacy.
                     and 1 public member       class. That class taught me to look at several    A pharmacist and three technicians – who
                                               different components at the same time and         were working independently of each other
                                               separate what was important from what was         – were diverting for their own uses. That
                     Number of                 not important to get a complete picture of        was a very interesting case because it took
                     Compliance
                                               a situation. To me, that describes pharmacy       many different twists and turns. I worked
                     Officers/Inspectors
                     13                        inspections and investigations perfectly. As      with several agencies, local law enforcement,
                                               an inspector, you must be able to look at         the North Carolina State Bureau of
                                               everything that is going on in a pharmacy in      Investigation, and DEA.
                     Rules & Regulations
                                               a very detailed manner and put those details
                     Established by            together for a complete picture of how the        What advice would you give
                     Board of Pharmacy         pharmacy is operating.                            to a new board inspector?
                                                                                                 Ninety percent of the time our job is to
                                               What are some common issues that                  educate and teach our pharmacists and
                                               you have witnessed and addressed                  pharmacy staff how to get into compliance.
                     Number of
                     Pharmacist Licensees
                                               as an inspector with the Board?                   The advice that I give to new inspectors
                     17,009                    We have been focusing on compounding              is to take the time to learn the rules and
                                               over the last several years. A lot of common      regulations and the meaning behind those
                                               issues that we see on the compounding             rules and regulations, so they can be ready
                                               side are lack of documentation, a need for        to educate our pharmacists and pharmacy
                     Number of                 staff training, and gaps in knowledge of          staff. There is a time and place to do what
                     Pharmacies
                                               the standards of compounding. On the              we need to do if there is a disciplinary
                     3,466 (in-state)
                                               retail pharmacy side, which is a majority         matter that needs to be addressed
                                               of our pharmacies, we also see a lack of          immediately, but for the most part, 90%
                     Number of Wholesale       documentation. In addition, we see a lot of       of our job is educating and teaching.
                     Distributors              pharmacies that are overwhelmed and filling
                     Wholesale drug            a lot of prescriptions. This can lead to issues
                     distributors are not
                                               such as cluttered shelves and disorganization.
                     regulated by the Board.

   4 | AUGUST 2021
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
ASSOCIATION NEWS

NABP Educates Consumers on
Dangers of Rogue Online Pharmacies

Educating consumers about the dangers of              Websites Program or have earned NABP’s
buying medicine from unlicensed pharmacies            Digital Pharmacy Accreditation will display
online and through social media sites is the          as “Verified,” and the campaign urges              You Can Help Share the
focus of NABP’s 2021 consumer awareness               consumers to use these resources when buying       Buy Safely Message
campaign. NABP has found that patients                medication online. Sites that appear to be out
continue to buy medicine online because they          of compliance with NABP patient safety and         Boards of pharmacy
think it is easy, cost-effective, and safe, and are   pharmacy practice standards, or applicable         interested in sharing the
unaware of the dangers of rogue websites and          law, will display as “Not Recommended.”            message about safe ways
social media accounts selling fake, substandard,         This year’s campaign includes television and    to buy medications online
                                                                                                         are encouraged to use the
and counterfeit prescription medications online.      radio public service announcements (PSAs)
                                                                                                         sample social media posts,
These unlicensed sites often sell unapproved or       that feature Ed and Mary Ternan (pictured
                                                                                                         images, video links, and
fake medications that may contain toxic fillers       above), founders of the nonprofit charity Song     sample articles included in
such as drywall, rat poison, sawdust, or deadly       for Charlie (www.songforcharlie.org), who share    the social media kit that
amounts of fentanyl. The various elements of          how they lost their son to a fake prescription     NABP provided to all board
the campaign seek to educate patients on these        pill purchased through social media in 2020.       executive officers. The kit
dangers, and provide safe alternatives.               The television and radio PSAs are being sent       is available on the NABP
                                                      to broadcast stations around the country, are      website at https://safe
Campaign Overview                                     available on NABP’s YouTube channel, and will      .pharmacy/resources.
Throughout the campaign, NABP urges                   be used in various digital advertising campaigns
patients to visit its consumer website at             throughout the year. Also, in August 2021, Ed
www.safe.pharmacy to use its free search              Ternan and NABP President Caroline D. Juran,
tool to check whether the online pharmacy             BSPharm, DPh (Hon), will be interviewed by
they are using is safe. Sites that have been          several local and national television and radio
verified through NABP’s .Pharmacy Verified            stations during a satellite media tour.

                                                                                                                              AUGUST 2021 | 5
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
Disciplinary Data
  Sharing Through
  NABP Clearinghouse
  Offers Numerous Board Benefits,
  Protects Public Health

  W       hen pharmacists face disciplinary action, they are required to disclose that information to
          the boards of pharmacy in jurisdictions where they are licensed. However, some licensees
  neglect to do so in a timely manner. For this reason, it is possible for licensees who have faced serious
  repercussions for professional misconduct to continue to operate in other states without those
  states knowing. This has long been an issue with licensed professions managed at the state level. In
  pharmacy, NABP helps by providing its member boards with access to alerts created by the NABP
  Clearinghouse, a national database of disciplinary information and other important licensee records
  submitted by the Association’s member boards.
     These records serve as a vital resource in helping boards make the best-informed decisions about
  licensure for all applicable licensees. However, to be most effective, these records must be submitted
  by the boards in a timely manner.

                  NABP Clearinghouse Review                            pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and interns. NABP
                  As of summer 2021, there are more than 91,000        has estimated that about 1% of the country’s pharmacist population
                  records currently in the NABP Clearinghouse.         has at least one record in the database. When a new record is
                  These records are submitted by member boards         submitted by one state against a licensee who is registered in other
                  of pharmacy on all actions taken against all         states, the other states receive an alert that contains the report and
                  license holders, including wholesale distributors,   any other available information about the action. The receiving states

6 | AUGUST 2021
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
or jurisdictions may then determine if any action needs to be taken
                                                                                                      0
                                                                                                     ACTIONS
                                                                                                      TAKEN

by their board as well. Making member boards aware of disciplinary
actions taken against licensees who may be registered in multiple
states is vital to protecting the public health.
   The reports generated by the NABP Clearinghouse can also
be used for tracking less critical but still important licensee data.
Notably, this includes whether licensees are current on their
continuing pharmacy education (CPE) requirements. While                             Boards of pharmacy now have the option to
CPE compliance is rarely a disciplinary issue, licensee continuing                  report “zero” when they have no disciplinary
education status is still something that some states and individual                     actions to submit on individuals or
boards prefer to track and record, when appropriate.                                organizations. Contact clearinghouse@nabp
   The NABP Clearinghouse also plays a vital role in license                             .pharmacy for more information.
verification, which is required by some NABP services such as the
Electronic Licensure Transfer Program® (e-LTPTM). When verifying
a license through the e-LTP process, NABP manually checks the
database for any disciplinary records. As with disciplinary alerts, these     details regarding the reported action, we find that most states are
checks help boards make well-informed licensure decisions.                    willing to cooperate in providing additional information.”
   “The biggest advantage of using the Clearinghouse is getting                  Ellen Mitchell, recently retired investigation support coordinator
a clear disciplinary history of North Carolina licensees or permit            for the Idaho State Board of Pharmacy, had similar advice for other
holders who are located in other states,” said Cindy Parham,                  boards. “The most critical thing for states to do is to report on a
CISCI, an enforcement specialist with the North Carolina Board                regular basis,” she said. “We have been reporting consistently for
of Pharmacy. “Reports give us a clear picture of disciplinary history         about 17 years. NABP staff was key in helping us to understand the
during facility applications with the state. This also helps us to weed       importance of reporting and how we support our sister boards by
out the bad actors before they become licensed or permitted.”                 doing so. While older information can be helpful, it is much more
                                                                              helpful to see the actions as they happen.”
                   Timely Reporting Is Vital
                    NABP has long considered its Clearinghouse                                   NABP Can Help With Reporting
                    database to be extremely important to the shared                                There are some burdens that may make submitting
                    mission of the Association and its member boards                                timely reports to the Clearinghouse more difficult.
                    of pharmacy in protecting the public health,                                    Among these, NABP recognizes that the federal
particularly in situations that involve dangerous misconduct and/                                   requirement for state boards of pharmacy to submit
or severe disciplinary actions. In fact, because timely reporting is          disciplinary records to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB)
essential to maintaining the integrity and value of the database,             may take priority over submitting these records to NABP. In these cases,
NABP’s Constitution and Bylaws require member boards to report                boards may also be concerned that their staff may need to duplicate work
their disciplinary actions to the Clearinghouse as part of their              by submitting disciplinary reports multiple times. NABP has taken steps
membership to the Association.                                                to help boards of pharmacy in these circumstances.
   Unfortunately, reporting is sometimes delayed in some states.                 Specifically, NABP and 34 state boards of pharmacy have entered
When other priorities take precedence, such as the coronavirus disease        into agreements that allow the Association to be their reporting
2019 pandemic, it may seem less important to devote resources to              agent to NPDB. This can reduce the amount of board time and staff
submitting disciplinary reports. However, the boards of pharmacy may          needed and make it easier to keep reports for both databases up to
want to keep in mind how vital this data can be for other states.             date. More information about using NABP as an NPDB reporting
   Compliance Analyst David Meryman, PTR, and Enforcement                     agent is provided in the Members section of the NABP website under
Program Manager Robert Rivera, PTR, of the Texas State Board of               Clearinghouse.
Pharmacy make regular use of the reports received by the NABP                    However, even if boards choose not to utilize NABP as a reporting
Clearinghouse. “My advice to anyone who would be using these                  agent to NPDB, there are other ways that the Association can make
records is to review the reports routinely and not let too much time          reporting easier for its member boards. NABP wants the boards of
elapse before acknowledging incoming reports,” Meryman stated.                pharmacy to take full advantage of the NABP Clearinghouse and works
   Meryman also noted, “I would encourage participation from states that      directly with them to help identify the best reporting methods. In many
may not think they have the resources or manpower. In Texas, we have          cases, automated reporting to NABP is possible. NABP Clearinghouse
found that the process is not too involved. We receive the notification and   staff can also assist boards to determine the best and most efficient option
decide what we need to do. We usually do not need to expend a lot of staff    that works with their current processes and resources.
resources at our agency to process the incoming notifications.”                  In addition, the NABP Clearinghouse services and access are
   Rivera added, “It is surprising how often we get a notification            regularly improved. Upgrades are planned for the coming year, and
we never heard about, even years after the action. We are getting a           more information will be shared through the appropriate channels.
chance to take a look at information that we might not have known             NABP thanks its member boards for all they do to keep their
about had the licensee not reported it. If we determine we need more          numbers updated regularly.

                                                                                                                                          AUGUST 2021 | 7
CLEARINGHOUSE DATA SHARING - OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS, PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH - NABP
ASSOCIATION NEWS

     Association Seeks Item Writers for NABP Examinations

                                                                                                       •   c ompound, dispense, or administer
                                                                                                            drugs, or manage delivery systems; and
                                                                                                       •    evelop or manage practice or
                                                                                                           d
                                                                                                           medication-use systems to ensure safety
                                                                                                           and quality.
                                                                                                       The MPJE combines federal and state-
                                                                                                       specific questions that test an individual’s
                                                                                                       knowledge in pharmacy jurisprudence
                                                                                                       and includes the following areas:
                                                                                                       •   pharmacy practice;
                                                                                                       •   licensure, registration, certification,
                                                                                                            and operational requirements; and
                                                                                                       •   general regulatory process.
                                                                                                          Writers for the MPJE are typically
                                                                                                       assigned by the participating jurisdiction;
                                                                                                       however, in some cases, individuals may
                                                                                                       be selected to participate independently
                                                                                                       of board of pharmacy affiliation.
                                                                                                          The FPGEE content areas cover curricula
                                                                                                       of accredited United States pharmacy
                                                                                                       programs, including:
                                                                                                       •   basic biomedical sciences;

     NABP is seeking volunteers to apply to serve as   designated examination program. Item
                                                                                                       •   pharmaceutical sciences;
     item writers for the Association’s examination    writers will then engage in the development     •   s ocial, behavioral, and administrative
     programs. Item writers develop test questions     of new test items that will be considered for        pharmacy sciences; and
     for NABP programs, including the North            inclusion in NABP licensure, certification,     •   clinical sciences.
     American Pharmacist Licensure Examination®        and assessment examination programs.            The PCOA is suitable for students in all four
     (NAPLEX®), the Multistate Pharmacy                   Some item writing workshops may be           professional years. The assessment follows a
     Jurisprudence Examination® (MPJE®), the           held virtually and others will be at NABP’s     blueprint that is representative of curricula of
     Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency             Headquarters in Mount Prospect, IL. Please      accredited US pharmacy programs, including:
     Examination® (FPGEE®), and the Pharmacy           check the Meetings section of the NABP
                                                                                                       •   basic biomedical sciences;
     Curriculum Outcomes Assessment® (PCOA®).          website for updates.
                                                                                                       •   pharmaceutical sciences;
     Item Writer Selection Process                     Overview of Exams                               •   s ocial, behavioral, and administrative
     The opportunity to participate as an item         The NAPLEX focuses on content                        pharmacy sciences; and
     writer is currently available to pharmacists      relating to the knowledge, judgment,            •   clinical sciences.
     in all areas of practice and to faculty from      and skills that an entry-level pharmacist
     schools and colleges of pharmacy. Item writers    is expected to demonstrate. There are six       How to Apply
     will be selected based on the specific needs of   competency areas for the examination:           Interested individuals should complete
     the programs. Those who are selected will be                                                      the online NABP Item Writer Volunteer
                                                       •   o btain, interpret, or access data,
     asked to participate in an item development            medical, or patient information;           Interest Form located on the Meetings
     workshop and training. Attendees will receive                                                     page of the NABP website and upload a
     detailed instructions and training materials
                                                       •   identify drug characteristics;
                                                                                                       current résumé or curriculum vitae.
     describing the item development process           •   develop or manage treatment plans;
     and content-related requirements for their        •   perform calculations;

   8 | AUGUST 2021
ASSOCIATION NEWS

NABP Inspectors Identify Dangerous Scheme
Involving Over-the-Counter Insulin Products
With decades of experience providing               an important treatment option for diabetes      Scheme Exploits Insulin Laws
accreditations and inspections on a national       patients who lack or have inadequate            To make nonprescription insulin more
level, NABP inspectors and surveyors have          insurance to help with the high cost of         accessible to patients, one of the top
a unique perspective when it comes to drug         prescription treatment options. Although        manufacturers of insulin began working with
safety issues and trends. That perspective         these insulins are not displayed in the         community pharmacy chains. The drug’s
recently allowed NABP staff to observe several     OTC section of retail pharmacies, upon          retail price for patients is often below the
schemes related to nonprescription insulin         request, they can be sold to patients. In       wholesale price of other insulin products sold
that may pose a serious health risk to patients.   this situation, the pharmacist is a frontline   to pharmacies. A label on this insulin states,
   Recently, unscrupulous distributors             resource for these patients.                    “ONLY FOR RETAIL SALE BY [CHAIN
posing as patients have purchased a brand                                                          DRUGSTORE] AND ITS AFFILIATES.”
of over-the-counter (OTC) insulin made for                                                            NABP became aware of a scheme
and sold exclusively at retail pharmacies of a                                                     involving insulin purchased by a facility it
large national pharmacy chain. The insulin is                                                      was inspecting that was collected from several
collected in large quantities, then resold into                                                    chain drugstore pharmacies over a single
the wholesale market. Wholesalers have then                                                        weekend. This scheme was carried out by
purchased this diverted insulin and resold it to                                                   an organized group that sold the purchased
retail pharmacies and, in some cases, to other                                                     insulin to a wholesale distributor, which
wholesalers. This deliberate scheme to subvert                                                     then sold it to a mail-order pharmacy. Upon
the supply of insulin is exposing patients                                                         further investigation, NABP discovered that
to the high risk of receiving an adulterated                                                       this is the typical pathway in which diverted
drug in the form of subpotent insulin due to                                                       insulin is resold into the marketplace.
unknown storage conditions.                                                                           The risk to patients with this type of
   While the specific pharmacies and                  According to NABP’s 2021 Survey of           corrupt distribution is very high, as they are
wholesalers involved in these schemes cannot       Pharmacy Law, only 15 states require a          receiving and injecting potentially adulterated
become accredited by NABP until they               license for wholesale distribution of OTC       insulin that is very likely subpotent due to
take corrective action and have ceased these       drugs, including nonprescription insulin.       improper storage.
activities, patients may still be at risk from     Notably, these insulin products are not            To combat the nationwide threat posed by
non-accredited facilities.                         subject to the traceability requirements        this scheme, Georgia has enacted a law that
                                                   that are part of the Federal Drug Supply        criminalizes the resale of nonprescription
Review of Insulin Regulation                       Chain Security Act of 2013 (Title II of the     insulin that was first obtained through an
and Proper Handling                                Drug Quality and Security Act), which was       OTC sale. Insulin sold in this manner is
Diabetes medications, including insulin,           enacted to protect the integrity of drugs       deemed adulterated under the law.
usually require a prescription. However, some      from adulteration and counterfeiting by            NABP encourages the boards of pharmacy
older forms of insulin can be purchased OTC.       implementing requirements for traceability,     to be aware of and to watch for variations
In fact, they remain the only injectable human     among other protections.                        of this scheme. Pharmacies and wholesalers
drugs that can be sold without a prescription         Insulins are complex biological products     should maintain awareness and verify the
under federal law. These drugs were on the         that are sensitive to temperature variations.   source of insulin products before purchasing.
market without a prescription prior to the         As a result, manufacturers recommend that       Pharmacies that turn a blind eye to the
enactment of certain provisions of the Federal     insulin be stored in refrigerated conditions    purchase and sale of insulin that is clearly
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which                (36o-46o F). At these temperatures, insulin     labeled as being exclusively for sale by a chain
created prescription-only status drugs, and are    maintains its potency through the labeled       pharmacy cannot claim ignorance of the
grandfathered in to retain OTC status. As a        expiration date. Once opened, insulin will      source of the diverted insulin.
result, these forms of insulin are not subject     continue to be effective for up to 28 days         In the interest of the shared mission
to the same state and federal supply chain         at room temperature (59o-86o F). Insulin        of NABP and the boards of pharmacy to
regulations as prescription insulins.              can degrade and lose efficacy when exposed      protect the public health, the Association will
   Diabetes advocacy groups, including the         to extreme temperatures, either freezing        continue to monitor these issues and trends
American Diabetes Association, support             temperatures or high heat.                      and report on any relevant updates.
availability of nonprescription insulin as

                                                                                                                                    AUGUST 2021 | 9
ASSOCIATION NEWS

     Task Force Offers Recommendations for Improving
     Pharmacy Technician Regulations and Policies

     The Overview Task Force on Pharmacy                Assessment, task force members discussed the       Requirements for Pharmacy Technician
     Technician Education, Practice Responsibilities,   career progression and time frame for each         Education, task force members questioned
     and Competence Assessment was the fifth task       level of pharmacy technician practice – from       whether it was feasible to encourage state
     force established in response to Resolution        applying as a candidate to becoming certified      boards of pharmacy to license or register
     115-4-19, which was approved by the NABP           to earning an advanced certification. Members      ancillary personnel, including cashiers, clerks,
     membership at the Association’s 115th Annual       agreed that it is crucial to require technicians   and delivery drivers. After extensive discussion,
     Meeting in May 2019. The task force met in         to complete an accredited education and            members agreed that NABP should not
     December 2020 and members reviewed the             training program in order to increase              encourage boards to register ancillary personnel
     recommendations of the previous task forces in     standardization across the country. Members        or add a definition for such personnel to the
     order to synthesize and consolidate them and       also agreed with the previous task forces’         Model Act. However, members did agree that
     review the NABP Model State Pharmacy Act           conclusions that the training component must       NABP should continue to encourage state
     and Model Rules of the National Association of     be site-specific. In addition, they recognized     boards of pharmacy to license all certified
     Boards of Pharmacy (Model Act) to determine        that the current certification examinations        pharmacy technician candidates and certified
     whether any updates are warranted. (See the        measure knowledge, but not necessarily             pharmacy technicians and to maintain the
     bottom of page 11 for the official charge.)        competence, and they noted that it is difficult    definitions of both terms, as revised by the
        In reviewing the recommendations of the         to measure the competence of a certified           previous task forces and 2020 Committee on
     Task Force on Requirements for Pharmacy            pharmacy technician candidate.                     Law Enforcement/Legislation report.
     Technician Education and the Task Force               Upon further review of the                         Task force members also discussed and
     on Pharmacy Technician Competence                  recommendations of the Task Force on               agreed with the addition to the Model Act

          Task Forces Convened in Response to Resolution 115-4-19
                                                                  2019 Task Forces

             Overview Task Force on Requirements
              for Pharmacy Technician Education,              Task Force on Requirements for                Task Force on Pharmacy Technician
                  Practice Responsibilities, and              Pharmacy Technician Education                      Competence Assessment
                    Competence Assessment

                                                                  2020 Task Forces

                                                                                          Overview Task Force on
                                     Task Force on Pharmacy Technician                Pharmacy Technician Education,
                                           Practice Responsibilities                   Practice Responsibilities, and
                                                                                         Competence Assessment

         In 2020, NABP held two task force meetings related to pharmacy technician practice and education. Both task forces were established
         in response to Resolution 115-4-19, which was approved by the membership at the Association’s 115th Annual Meeting. This 2019
         resolution was also the impetus for three other pharmacy technician task forces held in 2019.

   10 | AUGUST 2021
ASSOCIATION NEWS

regarding a definition of and licensing process       •    ABP should encourage state
                                                          N                                             Task force members included:
for “advanced level certified pharmacy                    boards of pharmacy to recognize, as
technician.” However, the 2021 Committee                  a best practice, pharmacy technician      •    Malcolm Broussard, RPh (chair)
on Law Enforcement/Legislation agreed that                education that includes a didactic        •    Cindy Fain, PD
                                                          curriculum from an accredited
a new pharmacy technician category may
                                                          provider and experiential training for
                                                                                                    •    Jacqueline L. “Jackie” Hall, MBA, RPh
be burdensome to boards of pharmacy and                                                             •    Kristina Jonas, PharmD, RPh
                                                          all levels of pharmacy technicians.
ultimately decided not to add the definition
to the Model Act.                                     •    ABP should encourage state boards
                                                          N                                         •    Franklin J. “Rocky” LaDien, RPh
   Regarding existing technician certification            of pharmacy to license all certified      •    Julie Lanza, CPhT, CSPT
examinations, the task force agreed that it               pharmacy technician candidates and        •    Edward G. McGinley, MBA, RPh, DPh
                                                          certified pharmacy technicians. The
was not necessary for NABP to perform
                                                          Association should not, however,
                                                                                                    •    Helen Pervanas, PharmD, RPh
a gap analysis on the examinations or to                                                            •    Jeenu Philip, RPh
                                                          encourage boards to register other
develop an additional examination. Members
agreed, however, that NABP should perform
                                                          ancillary personnel, such as cashiers,    •    Kari Shanard-Koenders, MSJ, RPh
                                                          clerks, or delivery drivers.              •    Kristen Snair, CPhT
a gap analysis of accreditation standards for
pharmacy technician education programs,
                                                      •    ABP should perform a gap analysis of
                                                          N                                         •     itchell G. “Mitch” Sobel,
                                                                                                         M
                                                          accreditation standards for pharmacy           MAS, RPh, FASHP, CPGx
with the goal of recommending accreditation
                                                          technician educational programs.
standards that encompass future growth of                                                           •    Julienne Tran, PharmD, RPh
                                                      •    ABP should retain and/or amend
                                                          N
pharmacist and pharmacy technician scopes of
                                                          Model Act language pertaining to          •     radley S. Hamilton, BSPharm,
                                                                                                         B
practice, as recommended by the Task Force                                                               RPh, Executive Committee liaison
                                                          “certified pharmacy technician”
on Requirements for Pharmacy Technician
                                                          and “certified pharmacy technician
Education.                                                candidate” and include a definition         The task force report was approved by the
   Lastly, the task force discussed remote practice       for “advanced level certified pharmacy    Executive Committee during its February
and shared services – particularly related to             technician,” but, as noted previously,    2021 virtual meeting and is available in the
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)                   was subsequently removed.                 Reports section at www.nabp.pharmacy.
pandemic – and agreed that relevant Model
                                                      •    ABP should review Model Act
                                                          N
Act language that restricts or prohibits these            language that prohibits remote practice
types of practices should be reviewed.                    and consider removing or qualifying
   After careful review and deliberation,                 other provisions that have been
the task force submitted the                              recently amended or waived due to the
following recommendations:                                COVID-19 pandemic.

               Task Force Charge
               The task force was charged with the following objectives:

                 1 	Review the reports of the Task Force on Requirements for Pharmacy Technician
                        Education, the Task Force on Pharmacy Technician Competence Assessment, and the
                        Task Force on Pharmacy Technician Practice Responsibilities.

                 2 	Synthesize these task forces’ recommendations into one consolidated set of
                        recommendations.

                 3 	Examine the language in the Model State Pharmacy Act and Model
                        Rules of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy addressing
                        all aspects of pharmacy technician regulation and recommend
                        amendments, if necessary, that support technician education, competence
                        assessment and practice, all in the best interest of patient care.

                                                                                                                                  AUGUST 2021 | 11
Sharing
                                                       Sharing Solutions,
                                                               Solutions,
                                                       Advancing  Regulation
                                                       Advancing Regulation

NABP Interactive Executive Officer Forum | September 28-29, 2021 | Northbrook, IL
                                                         INTERACTIVE
                                                         EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Executive officers, join your colleagues in person on September 28-29, 2021, to network, gain new insights, and
discover solutions to shared challenges facing the boards of pharmacy.
                                                         FORUM
                            No registration fees. Travel, hotel, and meals paid by NABP.
                                                        September 28-29, 2021
                                                        NABP Headquarters
    The Interactive Executive Officer Forum will take place at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook in Northbrook, IL.
   Executive officers will be sent invitations in August 2021. For questions, contact meetings@nabp.pharmacy.
                                                        Mount Prospect, IL
ASSOCIATION NEWS

Task Force on Medication-Assisted Treatment
Recommends Adding MAT Definition to NABP Model Act

During the Task Force on Medication-             who are going through withdrawal to               Lastly, task force members discussed the
Assisted Treatment virtual meeting held          seek treatment. The task force determined      likelihood of pharmacists being added to
in November 2020, members reviewed               that the pharmacist’s role should involve      the list of Drug Addiction Treatment Act of
current federal and state laws and regulations   initiation of short-term MAT therapy,          2000 (DATA 2000)-waived practitioners, as
related to medication-assisted treatment         including counseling on the medication and     well as the likelihood that the Mainstreaming
(MAT) and examined relevant language             the need for further care, thus providing a    Addiction Treatment Act (MAT Act) of
in the Model State Pharmacy Act and              “bridge” to long-term care.                    2019, which would eliminate the DATA
Model Rules of the National Association                                                         2000 waiver requirement, would be passed.
of Boards of Pharmacy (Model Act).                                                              The task force was informed that NABP is
   The task force meeting began with                                                            supportive of the MAT Act and is working
guests sharing their experiences with the                                                       to educate federal legislators and regulators
current trends that they are witnessing                                                         about the importance of the act in treating
in various parts of the country regarding                                                       OUD patients.
opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment,                                                               After careful review and deliberation,
including progress in addiction treatment,                                                      the task force recommended that NABP
the increase in OUD patients due to the             In addition, task force members discussed   amend the Model Act by adding a definition
coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the           how to best implement pharmacist-initiated     of MAT that includes a footnote to clarify
lack of available and/or willing providers,      MAT in light of current state and federal      that MOUD is the new term used by
how some patients feel stigmatized because       restrictions, as many states do not allow      SAMHSA, and by adding an emergency-
of their disorder, and the redundant shift       pharmacists to obtain a state controlled       use prescribing and dispensing provision
to the use of methadone from the use of          substance (CS) license. Task force members     to Section 6. Pharmacist Care Services that
buprenorphine in some areas.                     acknowledged that many states currently        allows a pharmacist to prescribe and dispense
   Task force members also discussed the         allow pharmacists to prescribe MOUD            MAT on an emergency-use basis for patients
term “medication-assisted treatment” and         through the use of collaborative practice      with OUD. The language specifies that
how it compares to “medications for opioid       agreements with practitioners who are          when initiating MAT, pharmacists must use
use disorder” (MOUD), the current term           licensed to prescribe CS at the state and      professional judgment to assess the clinical
used by the Substance Abuse and Mental           federal levels. Members agreed, however,       appropriateness of the request and the length
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).         that access to treatment would be greatly      of treatment needed until the patient obtains
While there was extensive discussion             expanded if pharmacists had independent        treatment by an authorized practitioner.
regarding which term should be used to best      authority at the state level to initiate          The task force also recommended that
further the presidential initiative of former    MOUD for patients suffering from opioid        NABP encourage state boards of pharmacy to
NABP President Timothy D. Fensky, RPh,           withdrawal, rather than having to enter into   promulgate regulations that allow pharmacists
DPh, FACA, task force members agreed             collaborative practice agreements.             to obtain CS licenses in order to prescribe
that both terms should be referenced in the
Model Act. They also agreed that the barriers
to OUD treatment are more at issue than the
term that is used.
   Regarding patient outcomes, task force
                                                       Task Force Charge
members and guests engaged in a robust                  1 	Review current state laws and regulations related to
discussion as to whether counseling was                       medication-assisted treatment.
necessary for OUD patients. After some
conversation, all agreed that psychological             2 	Examine the language in the Model State Pharmacy Act
counseling should not be an eligibility                       and Model Rules of the National Association of Boards of
requirement of MAT for OUD patients                           Pharmacy and, if necessary, recommend amendments
seeking immediate treatment. Discussion                       that allow pharmacists to be key leaders in opioid safety
also ensued regarding whether pharmacies                      and patient care.
are an appropriate setting for patients

                                                                                                                              AUGUST 2021 | 13
ASSOCIATION NEWS

     CS at the state level and obtain a federal CS   •   Debra Feinberg, JD, RPh, FASHP              Invited guests for the task force included
     mid-level practitioner registration from Drug   •   Robert Giacalone, JD, RPh                 James J. Gasper, PharmD, BCPP, College of
     Enforcement Administration.                                                                   Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists; Jake
                                                     •   Michael J. Godek, RPh
        The Task Force on Medication-Assisted                                                      Nichols, PharmD, Professional Recovery
     Treatment was established pursuant to           •   Fiona Karbowicz, RPh
                                                                                                   Associates; and Erica Schlesinger, PharmD,
     former NABP President Fensky’s initiative,      •   Samuel Lanctin, MBA                       Tennessee Department of Mental Health and
     which is to promote pharmacist-provided         •    illiam T. “Bill” Lee,
                                                         W                                         Substance Abuse Services.
     MAT for patients diagnosed with OUD.                MPA, DPh, FASCP                             The task force report was approved by the
     Task force members included:                    •   Karen M. Ryle, MS, RPh                    Executive Committee during its February
                                                     •                                             2021 virtual meeting and is available in the
     •   Jeanne D. Waggener, RPh, DPh (chair)            Katy Wright, MBA,
                                                                                                   Reports section at www.nabp.pharmacy.
                                                          PharmD, DPh, BCPS
     •   James “Jim” Bracewell
     •   Luke Daniel, JD                             •    icole L. Chopski, PharmD, BCGP,
                                                         N
                                                         ANP, Executive Committee liaison

AROUND THE ASSOCIATION

     Board Member Appointments                           Services, Division of Public Health,      •    nthony D. Peterangelo, PharmD,
                                                                                                       A
     •    oung Chang, MBA, RPh, has been
         Y                                               Licensure Unit. Borcher’s appointment         RPh, has been appointed a member of
         appointed a member of the Georgia               will expire November 30, 2021.                the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining
         State Board of Pharmacy. Chang’s            •    odd M. Larimer, RP, has been
                                                         T                                             Board. Peterangelo’s appointment
         appointment will expire July 1, 2022.           appointed a member of the Nebraska            will expire July 1, 2023.
     •    harles E. Page, RPh, has been
         C                                               Department of Health and Human            •   Michael Walsh has been appointed
         appointed a member of the Georgia State         Services, Division of Public Health,           a public member of the Wisconsin
         Board of Pharmacy. Page’s appointment           Licensure Unit. Larimer’s appointment          Pharmacy Examining Board. Walsh’s
         will expire October 31, 2025.                   will expire November 30, 2024.                appointment will expire July 1, 2024.
     •   Christina Solis has been appointed         •    harles T. Tomlinson, PharmD,
                                                         C                                         •   Shana Weiss has been appointed
          a member of the Guam Board of                  RP, has been appointed a member                a public member of the Wisconsin
          Examiners for Pharmacy. Solis’                 of the Nebraska Department of                 Pharmacy Examining Board. Weiss’
         appointment will expire May 12, 2023.           Health and Human Services, Division           appointment will expire July 1, 2023.
                                                         of Public Health, Licensure Unit.
     •    rik Maki, PharmD, RPh, has been
         E
                                                         Tomlinson’s appointment will
         appointed a member of the Iowa Board                                                      Board Member Reappointments
         of Pharmacy. Maki’s appointment                 expire November 30, 2025.                 •   J . Andrew “Andy” Bowman,
         will expire April 30, 2024.                 •    ischelle Johnson Corbin has been
                                                         M                                              PharmD, RPh, has been reappointed
                                                         appointed a public member of the North         a member of the North Carolina
     •    hristopher Harlow, PharmD,
         C
                                                                                                        Board of Pharmacy. Bowman’s
         RPh, BCGP, has been appointed a                 Carolina Board of Pharmacy. Corbin’s
                                                         appointment will expire June 1, 2025.          appointment will expire May 1, 2026.
         member of the Kentucky Board of
         Pharmacy. Harlow’s appointment              •    allace Nelson, RPh, has been
                                                         W                                         •    achael DeBarmore, RPh, has been
                                                                                                       R
         will expire January 1, 2024.                    appointed a member of the North               reappointed a member of the Oregon
                                                         Carolina Board of Pharmacy. Nelson’s          State Board of Pharmacy. DeBarmore’s
     •   J onathan Van Lahr, RPh, has been
                                                                                                       appointment will expire June 30, 2024.
          appointed a member of the Kentucky             appointment will expire April 30, 2025.
          Board of Pharmacy. Van Lahr’s              •    ileen Ortega, RPh, has been appointed
                                                         E                                         •   Cyndi Vipperman, CPhT, has
          appointment will expire January 1, 2024.       a member of the Puerto Rico Board              been reappointed a member of the
                                                         Pharmacy. Ortega’s appointment                 Oregon State Board of Pharmacy.
     •   J effrey Nikolaisen, RPh, has been
                                                                                                       Vipperman’s appointment will
          appointed a member of the Montana              will expire November 23, 2024.
                                                                                                       expire February 16, 2024.
          Board of Pharmacy. Nikolaisen’s            •    iffany O’Hagan, MBA, PharmD,
                                                         T
          appointment will expire July 1, 2025.          RPh, has been appointed a member of       •    eri Ferreira, RPh, has been
                                                                                                       T
                                                         the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining              reappointed a member of the Washington
     •    evin C. Borcher, PharmD, RP, has
         K
                                                         Board. O’Hagan’s appointment                  State Pharmacy Quality Assurance
         been appointed a member of the Nebraska
                                                         will expire July 1, 2024.                     Commission. Ferreira’s appointment
         Department of Health and Human
                                                                                                       will expire January 28, 2024.

   14 | AUGUST 2021
INTERVIEW WITH A BOARD MEMBER

                                 Julie Lanza, CPhT, CSPT
                                 Member, Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy

                                 When were you appointed to the                    great job developing and approving policies
                                 Board and as what type of member?                 and guidelines to assist the pharmacy
                                 I am a pharmacy technician who was appointed      community while new regulations
                                 to the Massachusetts Board in December 2017.      are waiting for promulgation.
                                 In 2019, I was elected secretary, and I am
                                 currently president for 2021.                     What advice would you give to a
                                                                                   new board member?
                                 What steps should a board member                  Get involved and enjoy every moment. The
                                 take to be successful in their role?              opportunity to serve on a board is an honor
                                 The most important thing a board member           and a privilege. That said, every regulation,
                                 should do is listen to their fellow board         every meeting, every discussion is an
                                 members. There is a wide range of specialty       opportunity to learn something and become
                                 areas within the world of pharmacy, and we        more well-rounded. It is okay to ask questions.
Massachusetts Board of           cannot be an expert in every area. Being able     I was nervous and did not know what to expect
Registration in Pharmacy         to listen to other board members who have the     when I was first appointed, but I quickly
                                 expertise and knowledge in an area unfamiliar     learned that everyone on the Board was on the
                                 to you may help you make informed decisions.      same team and working toward the same goal.
         Number of Board         As a hospital-based pharmacy technician,          In my three years on the Board, I have had the
         Members
                                 I have been able to expand my knowledge           honor of serving with some amazing members
         8 pharmacist members
         2 public members        in a host of areas simply by listening and        of the pharmacy community.
         1 pharmacy technician   learning from other board members.
         1 physician                                                               Have you served as a member of any
         1 nurse                 What are some recent policies,                    NABP task forces or committees, or
                                 legislation, or regulations your                  attended NABP or district meetings?
         Number of               Board has implemented?                            In January 2020, I attended the NABP
         Compliance
                                 Recently, the Board has approved a policy         Interactive Member Forum and participated
         Officers/Inspectors
         1 compliance officer    allowing vaccine administration by qualified      in the panel discussion Compounding by the
         and 12 inspectors       pharmacy technicians. As a technician, this       Numbers – Unlocking the Data of the MOU.
                                 was very exciting and another step in the right   Additionally, I participated virtually in
         Rules & Regulations     direction toward technicians in advanced roles.   December 2020 in the Overview Task Force
         Established by          This past year, I believe it has become more      on Requirements for Pharmacy Technician
         Board of Registration   evident that pharmacy technicians in advanced     Education, Practice Responsibilities, and
         in Pharmacy             roles have a positive overall impact on the       Competence Assessment. Both experiences
                                 practice of pharmacy. They allow pharmacists      were wonderful, but very different. The virtual
         Number of               to have more patient-facing time and for the      meeting was very informative, and I was able to
         Pharmacist Licensees    implementation of more clinical services. Being   hear other thoughts and opinions on the topics
         13,936                  involved with NABP gave me the opportunity        presented. The benefits of the in-person meeting
                                 to connect with board members from other          were gaining knowledge, but then also talking to
                                 states that already allowed this regulation.      others about it. Comparing thoughts, ideas, and
         Number of
                                 Being able to ask questions and learn from        processes with colleagues from other states in real
         Pharmacies
         1,124 (includes home    them allowed me to bring back to the Board        time was beneficial for me to be able to bring
         infusion, mail-order    information that was important for the            back what I learned to the Board. I was able to
         pharmacies, and         development and implementation of this policy.    connect with multiple people at the in-person
         nuclear pharmacies)                                                       meeting whom I have since been able to contact
                                 Has the Board encountered any                     for their opinions on my quest for technician
         Number of               challenges to developing new                      advancement. I feel as though any involvement
         Wholesale
         Distributors
                                 policies or regulations?                          with NABP is beneficial, and what I was able to
         37                      Implementation of any new regulation or           take away from those experiences was far greater
                                 legislation takes time. My Board does a           than what I expected.

                                                                                                                    AUGUST 2021 | 15
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