Chapter 480-36 RETAIL PHARMACY REQUIREMENTS FOR REMOTE PRESCRIPTION DRUG ORDER PROCESSING
As used in this chapter, the following
terms:
| (1) |
"Board" shall mean
the Georgia Board of Pharmacy. |
| (2) |
"Remote prescription drug order processing" shall mean the processing of
prescription or patient information from a location other than the location
from which the prescription medication is received and dispensed. It shall not
include the dispensing of a drug, but may include:
| (a) |
Receiving the prescription order from the
primary dispensing pharmacy |
| (b) |
Interpreting, analyzing, or clarifying prescriptions; |
| (c) |
Entering prescription or patient data
into a data processing system; |
| (d) |
Transferring prescription information; |
| (e) |
Performing a drug regimen
review; |
| (f) |
Performing a drug
allergy review; |
| (g) |
Performing
therapeutic interventions; or |
| (h) |
Any combination of these order processing functions. |
|
| (3) |
Primary dispensing pharmacy. A primary
dispensing pharmacy shall be defined as the retail pharmacy from which a
prescription is physically received and dispensed to the patient or the
patient's caregiver. |
| (4) |
Secondary
remote entry pharmacy. A secondary remote entry pharmacy shall be defined as
the retail pharmacy which performs remote prescription drug order processing
but does not dispense the medication to the patient or the patient's caregiver.
There shall only be one secondary pharmacy to assist the primary dispensing
pharmacy with remote prescription drug order processing per
prescription. |
| (1) |
Pharmacies
which perform remote prescription drug order processing shall be independently
licensed as a retail pharmacy by the Board and physically located within the
State of Georgia. |
| (2) |
Remote
prescription drug processing from any location other than a retail pharmacy
licensed in this State is prohibited. |
| (3) |
Pharmacies which perform remote
prescription drug order processing shall either have the same owner or have a
written contract describing the scope of services to be provided and the
responsibilities and accountabilities of each pharmacy. Such contract shall be
available for review by the Board or its representative. |
| (1) |
The primary dispensing pharmacy shall
have a licensed pharmacist on site during business hours and his/her shall
duties shall include the verification of the validity of all prescriptions.
Such pharmacist shall be responsible for obtaining and recording all
information needed. This shall include but not be limited to the following
patient information: biographical information, medication history, drug
allergies, and other information as required. Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy
interns/externs may assist a pharmacist located at the primary dispensing
pharmacy with remote prescription drug order processing. Such pharmacies shall
comply with Georgia laws and rules set forth pertaining to ratios and the
supervision of pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns/externs. |
| (2) |
The secondary remote entry pharmacy shall
have a pharmacist on duty, licensed in this State, who is physically present
and personally supervising all pharmacy activities. Remote prescription drug
order processing in a retail pharmacy without the direct supervision of a
pharmacist is prohibited. |
| (3) |
Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns/externs may assist a pharmacist
located at the secondary remote entry pharmacy with remote prescription drug
order processing. Such pharmacies shall comply with Georgia laws and rules set
forth pertaining to ratios and the supervision of pharmacy technicians and
pharmacy interns/externs. |
| (4) |
The
pharmacist on duty at the primary dispensing pharmacy shall be responsible for
assuring the accuracy of all filled or dispensed prescriptions including those
prepared through the use of remote prescription drug order processing. This
shall include, but not be limited to, viewing and verifying the hardcopy or
electronic prescription. |
| (5) |
The
pharmacist on duty at the secondary remote entry pharmacy shall be responsible
for assuring the accuracy of prescriptions for which he/she performed or
supervised remote prescription drug order processing. This responsibility shall
exclude the compounding, preparation, dispensing, and counseling for
prescriptions for which he/she has performed remote prescription drug order
processing. The pharmacist shall verify the data entered into the computer
system is consistent with the prescription. The pharmacist shall conduct a drug
regimen review for each prescription. Any activity requiring the exercise of
professional judgment shall be performed by the pharmacist on duty and shall
not be delegated to pharmacy technicians. The pharmacist on duty at the
secondary remote entry pharmacy shall be responsible for verification of all
activities performed by pharmacy technicians, or pharmacy
interns/externs. |
The primary dispensing pharmacy and the secondary remote entry
pharmacy shall have a written policy and procedure that relates to the remote
processing at each pharmacy involved in the processing of a prescription and
available for inspection by the Board or its representative. The policy shall
at a minimum include the following:
| (a) |
The responsibilities of each
pharmacy; |
| (b) |
A list of the name,
address, telephone numbers, and permit/registration numbers of all pharmacies
involved in remote processing; |
| (c) |
Procedures for protecting the confidentiality and integrity of patient
information; |
| (d) |
Procedures for
ensuring that pharmacists performing prospective drug reviews have access to
appropriate drug information resources; |
| (e) |
Procedures for maintaining required
records; |
| (f) |
Procedures for
complying with all applicable laws and regulations to include
counseling. |
| (1) |
The primary dispensing pharmacy and the
secondary remote entry pharmacy shall share a common electronic file or have
technology which allows sufficient information necessary to process a
non-dispensing function. |
| (2) |
In
addition to any other required records, the primary dispensing pharmacy and the
secondary remote entry pharmacy shall maintain retrievable records which show,
for each prescription remotely processed, each individual processing function
and identity of the pharmacist or pharmacy technician who performs a processing
function and the pharmacist who checked the processing function. |
| (3) |
The primary dispensing pharmacy and the
secondary remote entry pharmacy may maintain records separately at each
pharmacy, or in a common electronic file shared by both pharmacies provided the
system can produce a record showing each processing task, the identity of the
person performing each task, and the location where each task was
performed. |
| (4) |
These records
maintained by the primary dispensing pharmacy and the secondary remote entry
pharmacy shall be readily retrievable for at least two years through the
primary dispensing pharmacy, and shall be available for inspection by the Board
or its representative. |
| (5) |
The
record keeping required by this rule is in addition to the record keeping
required under Rule Chapter 480-10 and any other Board rules and state and
federal laws. |
| (1) |
It shall be the responsibility of the
pharmacist on duty at the primary dispensing pharmacy to perform patient
counseling of all prescriptions, as required, including those assisted by
remote processing. |
| (2) |
The
secondary remote entry pharmacy shall not perform patient counseling on behalf
of the primary dispensing pharmacy. |
| (1) |
Prior to utilizing remote prescription
drug order processing, the primary dispensing pharmacy shall:
| (a) |
Notify patients their prescription drug
order may be processed by another pharmacy. Such notification may be provided
through a one time written consent from the patient or the patient's authorized
representative and through use of a sign in the pharmacy which states: "Remote
Order Processing Utilized Here."Such sign must be clear and legible with
letters at least three (3) inches in size, and the sign shall be free from
obstruction and visible to patients at the time the prescription is presented
to the pharmacy. |
| (b) |
Give the name
of that pharmacy, or if the pharmacy is part of a network of pharmacies under a
common ownership and any of the network pharmacies may process the prescription
order, the patient shall be notified of this fact. Such notification may be
provided through a one time written consent from the patient or the patient's
authorized representative and through use of a sign in the pharmacy which
states: "Remote Order Processing Utilized Here." Such sign must be clear and
legible with letters at least three (3) inches in size, and the sign shall be
free from obstruction and visible to patients at the time the prescription is
presented to the pharmacy. |
|
| (2) |
Prior to utilizing remote prescription
drug order processing, written consent from the patient or the patient's
authorized representative shall be obtained by the primary dispensing pharmacy
when the primary dispensing pharmacy and the secondary remote entry pharmacy do
not share the same owner. |
