|
At the June 15, 2023 business meeting, the Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (commission) approved the following frequently asked questions regarding health care entities (HCEs). These FAQs will be placed on the commission’s website in the next few business days.
At the June 15, 2023 business meeting, the commission voted to extend enforcement discretion of the submission of zero order reports until the rulemaking is complete . The CR-101 for the rulemaking project was filed on April 24, 2023. The commission held a rules workshop and staff continue to work on the draft language.
Please contact us with any questions at PharmacyRules@doh.wa.gov.
The July 7 legislative subcommittee meeting and all future legislative subcommittee meetings have been canceled. The commission is engaging in strategic planning. As part of its strategic planning, the commission will determine how to best utilize subcommittees. Once that is complete, the legislative subcommittee will resume meeting in line with the strategic plan.
At the May 2023 Business Meeting, the commission adopted a guidance document that replaced the former emergency rule filed under WSR 23-06-016. The guidance document continued to align state regulatory practice with the ongoing United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) guidance on Schedule II prescribing standards during the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Since adopting this guidance document, the DEA has rescinded their guidance meaning that the Emergency Schedule II Oral Prescriptions Guidelines guidance document is no longer in effect. Practitioners are again required to follow WAC 246‐945‐010(6)(b) and deliver a signed prescription to the dispenser within seven days after authorizing an emergency oral prescription.
For additional information on the DEA’s action(s), please see Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division Guidance Document.
The commission re-filed the rulemaking inquiry (CR-101) under WSR 23-13-035 on June 12, 2023, to consider new and amended rules in chapter 246-945 WAC related to prescription label accessibility standards. The inquiry addresses issues pertaining to means of access for patients with visual impairments or print disabilities and the translation or interpretation of prescription drug information for Limited English Proficient patients.
The re-filed CR-101 replaces the original rulemaking inquiry filed under WSR 22-09-065. Following discussions on the accessible labeling rulemaking, the commission determined that WAC 246-945-015 should be added to the original rulemaking scope to communicate that the accessible labeling requirements apply to all dispensing practitioners. The commission voted to expand the scope of the rulemaking at the May 5, 2023 business meeting. Commission staff concurrently submitted an updated CR-101 for filing and submitted a request to rescind WSR 22-09-065. The process did not delay the commission’s continued work in drafting rule language around accessible prescription labeling standards.
The Washington State Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (PQAC) and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) publish a joint newsletter each quarter. Copies of the current and past newsletters are available on NABP's website.
|
