Public Affairs

Board Regulatory of Phar macy Update

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy convened on January 7-8 and February 25-26 to discuss multiple requests, reports and informational items, as well as several proposed rules.

Board Member Terms and Appointments Two current Board members were reappointed by Governor Kim Reynolds to serve another term. Brett Barker, PharmD, is from Nevada and practices at NuCara Pharmacy. Gayle Mayer, RPh, is from Spirit Lake and most recently practiced at Spencer Hospital. Both Brett and Gayle were re-appointed to their second 3-year term on the board.

LaDonna Gratias finished out her third and final term on the Board serving as public member. Sherill Whisenand of Des Moines was appointed to fill the public member vacancy.

Termination of Rulemaking At the February 26 meeting, the Board voted to terminate a proposed rulemaking which would have sought to amend Chapter 6, “General Pharmacy Practice,” Iowa Administrative Code. The rulemaking proposed to allow one pharmacy to provide prescription drug order information to another pharmacy for a noncontrolled substance prescription for the purpose of providing a patient with a three-day supply of continuing medication without the process constituting a complete transfer of the prescription. During the public comment period, the Board received a comment that sought a change in the language which the Board would like to more thoroughly review.

Adoption of Rules Expedited Partner Therapy The Board voted to adopt rules to further help implement expedited partner therapy in Iowa. The amendments allow a pharmacist to fill a nonpatient-specific prescription when the prescription is issued pursuant to Iowa Code section 139A.41 for the purpose of expedited partner therapy to treat a sexually transmitted chlamydia or gonorrhea infection in an unnamed partner or partners.

Delivery of Prescription Drugs The Board also voted to adopt a rulemaking impacting several pharmacy-related administrative code sections. The adopted rules require a nonresident pharmacy applicant to identify a registered location located in Iowa and extend the time frame in which a pharmacy must respond to a request for original records from 48 to 72 hours. Furthermore, the rule amended language relating to requirements for closing a pharmacy which may be exempt in the event of an unforeseeable closure and simplified the rule relating to the delivery of prescription drugs. ■

Tune-in to IPA’s BOP: What, Why & How podcast following each Iowa Board of Pharmacy meeting to recap the board’s actions and earn pharmacy law CE. More information at www.iarx.org/BOP_Podcast.