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Please be aware that the board’s licensing team will no longer accept paper applications when an online application is available - be sure to check the board’s licensure page for the respective license or registration to find the appropriate manner of application. Older versions of paper applications will not be accepted.
When a change needs to be reported that does not require an application (for example, a change of pharmacist in charge), please do not submit a license application to notify the board of the change. Please use the board’s Contact Us form.
NABP Pulse Program
With the final deadline approaching for dispensers (Nov. 27, 2026) to comply with the track and trace requirements of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), pharmacies are encouraged to engage with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Pulse program. The program provides a platform for dispensers to communicate with trading partners and respond to regulators (like your friendly Board of Pharmacy investigators!) to ensure the drug supply chain is secure and your pharmacy is DSCSA-compliant. Visit the Pulse website to learn more.
FDA Assessment for Small Dispensers
The FDA has launched a DSCSA assessment tool for small dispensers. According to the FDA, “the assessment is designed to evaluate small dispensers’ ability to conduct interoperable tracing of product at the package level.” The assessment is designed for dispensers with 25 or fewer full-time employees. To learn more, visit the FDA website.
Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions - Pharmacist-initiated Prescriptions
As pharmacists or pharmacies elect to develop protocols, policies, and procedures to provide pharmacist-initiated therapies, please be reminded of Iowa Code requirements for electronic transmission of prescriptions. Iowa Code sections 124.308 and 155A.27 require the electronic submission of all prescriptions with some identified exemptions. The code further allows the board to identify additional exemptions, for which a licensee may petition the board. The board’s rule (Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) 481-552.13) provides some additional circumstances which have historically been identified as worthy of an exemption to the transmission mandate. However, please be aware that the exemptions listed in 552.13(3) are not automatically exempted. A licensee must still petition the board for an exemption, even if their prescribing aligns with one or or more of the exemptions listed. When a petition is submitted for an exemption that aligns with one of the listed exemptions, the board’s administrative staff will review for approval.
Please also keep in mind a patient’s freedom to choose a pharmacy. If they choose not to have their pharmacist-initiated prescription filled at that pharmacy, the original pharmacy needs to have the ability to electronically transmit such pharmacist-initiated prescriptions to the pharmacy of the patient’s choice.
Waiver Petition Reminder
Any licensee who wishes to petition the board to waive a rule can do so via submission of a waiver petition form that can be found on the board’s Laws and Rules webpage. This form provides all the required elements that the board must take into consideration when evaluating a petition to waive one or more rules. The board cannot waive any requirement that is found in the Iowa Code but, pursuant to IAC 7 -2504, the board may consider a waiver of a rule. Any petition for a waiver of one or more rules must be submitted at least three weeks before the next regular board meeting in order to be included on the regular open session agenda.
Ivermectin Legislation
The Iowa Legislature passed legislation this year related to ivermectin: HF2676 permits ivermectin to be available over the counter. Ivermectin is not currently approved for over-the-counter use by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). We encourage pharmacies to consult legal counsel regarding this law.
Upcoming Changes to PMP Data Submission Requirements
Effective Sept. 1, 2026, the Iowa Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) will implement the following changes related to submissions:
1. Required submission of PAT20 species code:
- The species code for the dispensation will be required.
- The PAT23 (animal name) will be conditionally required if PAT20 is submitted as “02.”
2. Required submission of prescriber and dispenser DEA on schedule I-V drugs (PHA03, PRE02)
- Prescriber and dispenser DEA numbers will be required for submission on all schedule I-V drugs.
- Any dispensations submitted with only a prescriber or dispenser NPI will result in an error.
Please work internally or contact your pharmacy software vendor as soon as possible for assistance in configuring and implementing any changes that may be needed to ensure PHA03, PRE02, PAT20, and PAT23 are submitted correctly to the Iowa PMP.
To allow time to make these changes, warnings will be produced from July 13 to Sept. 1, 2026, if PAT20 is not populated. Effective Sept. 1, 2026, errors will be generated and need to be resolved in order to submit.
Resources:
- Refer to the Iowa Data Submission Guide for complete data uploading information. The guide can be found in the Clearinghouse Portal via selecting Account> Multi State Approval> Iowa - Download User Guide.
- If you have additional questions, contact Bamboo Health Enterprise support by submitting a ticket, or contact the Iowa PMP with any questions or concerns at pmp@iowa.gov or at 515.281.5944.
New PMP Submission Error Notifications
On July 6, 2026, the Iowa PMP began a new notification process to make pharmacists aware of errors within their pharmacy’s submissions to the Iowa PMP. Pharmacists will receive notifications based on submissions for the pharmacy (employer) Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) number(s) listed in their Iowa PMP account. These automated emails will be sent to their PMP registered email each day errors exist for the previous 30 days of submissions.
Errors can be corrected by sending a revision file via the PMP Clearinghouse or by making manual corrections in the Rx Management portal of the PMP AWARxE website. To manually correct errored records from your PMP AWARxE account, please follow the steps below:
- Log into your Iowa PMP account at iowa.pmpaware.net.
- Click Menu > Rx Management, which will take you to the Error Correction page.
- If errors are not automatically displayed, click on “Advanced Options” next to the search bar and enter your pharmacy’s DEA number. You may also enter a date range
- Click Search. This will pull invalid/errored prescriptions attributed to the pharmacy
- Click on the prescription number to view the submitted prescription record. The invalid/errored fields will be highlighted.
- Correct the information before clicking submit. Please note: other fields cannot be revised at this time and all invalid/errored fields must be corrected before revisions can be made on the Rx Maintenance tab of the Rx Management module.
- Click Submit.
- Repeat these steps for each invalid/errored prescription record.
Please note the following:
- If a software vendor or company reports to Iowa for your pharmacy, this does not replace any process established with them. Additionally, this does not replace any notifications sent to PMP Clearinghouse account holders.
- Please review your profile for any updates that need to be made to your employer DEA information. If you need to add or remove an employer DEA or have any questions regarding this process, please email the Iowa PMP at pmp@iowa.gov.
New Annual PMP Delegate Reverification Requirement
On Sept. 1, 2026, the Iowa PMP launch a delegate reverification requirement for all supervisory users. Supervisors will have until Oct. 1, 2026, to confirm all their associated delegates should maintain authorization to query patients on their behalf. Moving forward, this reverification window will occur annually from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1.
Why reverify delegates?
Supervising providers are responsible for every PMP report that is requested using their credentials, including requests made by delegates. Since delegates have access to private health information and are authorized to act on behalf of a prescriber or pharmacist, regular review of delegate users ensures appropriate use of, and access to, the Iowa PMP.
How to view and reverify delegates
Users who primarily access the PMP through integration will need to log into their PMP AWARxE account to complete the delegate reverification. To view and verify your delegates, login to the PMP AWARxE website, click on your name in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and select “Delegate Management” from the drop-down menu.
In the Delegate Management dashboard, each delegate with a status of “Unverified” will need to be reverified by doing the following:
- Select the delegate to view their info panel.
- Select “Verify Status” or “Remove."
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all delegates have been verified or removed.
Note: Removing a delegate will place them into a “pending” status that allows them to be re-enabled at a future date. Rejecting the delegate after removal will permanently sever your accounts. Do not reject a delegate unless you want to permanently sever the association. For more information, visit the PMP AWARxE Support Center on delegate management.
All delegates must be reverified during the annual reverification period from Sept. 1 through Oct. 1. At the end of the reverification period, delegates that are not reverified by their supervisor will be placed into a pending status. They will not be able to complete searches on behalf of that prescriber or pharmacist supervisor until they are reverified.
If you have questions about the delegate reverification requirement or need assistance logging into the Iowa PMP, please contact the Iowa PMP at pmp@iowa.gov.
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