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Board of Pharmacy Update
Highlights of the March 2021 Meeting
by Christopher W. Crank, PharmD, MS, BCPS; ICHP Executive Vice President
The March 9th Board of Pharmacy Meeting was held via conference call due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are the highlights of that meeting.
NABP Updates: No updates
Department Update: Staff member and Board General Counsel Munaza Aman was asked questions related to the continuing education requirements for pharmacy students in Illinois. The primary question revolved around whether pharmacy coursework would be counted toward the continuing education requirements for pharmacy students who are also certified technicians. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board would require the students to obtain PTCB-approved CE to maintain certification with them. The Department was not able to immediately answer the question of whether the State would accept pharmacy school coursework. The Department plans to provide recommendations on this issue in the near future.
Legislative Update: ICHP Executive Vice President Chris Crank presented the Legislative Update to the Board and reported on several key pieces of proposed legislation.
HB 450: Medicaid-Pharmacy Payments: This bill would require that DHFS and Medicaid MCOs reimburse a pharmacist for the provision of a service or procedure within the scope of the pharmacist's license if the service or procedure: (1) would be covered by the Department or the Medicaid managed care organization if the service were provided by a physician; an advanced practice nurse; or a physician assistant; and (2) is performed by the pharmacist in strict compliance with laws and rules related to the provision of the service or procedure and the pharmacist's license.
Update: Bill did not get out of Committee
HB 2589: Substance Use Disorder-Opioids: This bill would allow for easier distribution of naloxone for patients being discharged from institutions. The proposed legislation would not require a patient-specific label for dispensing the product. Feedback from the Government Affairs Division was provided to the Board. Government Affairs recommended adding language to the bill to require that the naloxone be labeled with instructions for use.
Update: Bill passed in House of Representatives; moved to Senate.
HB 3867: Imported Prescription Drugs: This bill would create the Wholesale Importation of Prescription Drugs Act and would require the Department of Public Health to design an importation program where the State is the licensed wholesaler of imported drugs from licensed, regulated Canadian suppliers.
Update: Bill did not get out of Committee
SB 579: Facility-Provided Medications: This bill would require that an unused portion of a facility-provided medication required for continuing treatment be provided to a patient upon discharge when the facility-provided medication is ordered at least 24 hours in advance for surgical procedures, and that facility-provided medications be labeled in accordance with the Pharmacy Practice Act.
Update: Bill passed in Senate; moved to House of Representatives.
Public Comments: Public comments and questions were primarily in relation to the pharmacy student continuing education requirements outlined previously.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Board of Pharmacy is scheduled for May 11th, tentatively potentially in Chicago but most likely via video conference. Interested individuals should monitor the Department’s pharmacy webpage
(www.idfpr.com) for more information. These meetings are open to the public and pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy students are encouraged to attend or listen in.
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