Section 12.52.240. Pharmacist collaborative practice authority.

	(a)  A pharmacist planning to exercise collaborative practice authority in the pharmacist's practice by initiating or modifying drug therapy in accordance with a written protocol established and approved for the pharmacist's practice by a practitioner authorized to prescribe drugs under AS 08  must submit the completed written protocol to the board and be approved by the board before implementation.  
	(b)  A written protocol must include  
		(1) an agreement in which practitioners authorized to prescribe legend drugs in this state authorize pharmacists licensed in this state to administer or dispense in accordance with that written protocol;  
		(2) a statement identifying the practitioners authorized to prescribe and the pharmacists who are party to the agreement;  
		(3) the time period during which the written protocol will be in effect, not to exceed two years;  
		(4) the types of collaborative authority decisions that the pharmacists are authorized to make, including  
			(A) types of diseases, drugs, or drug categories involved and the type of collaborative authority authorized in each case; and  
			(B) procedures, decision criteria, or plans the pharmacists are to follow when making therapeutic decisions, particularly when modification or initiation of drug therapy is involved;  
		(5) activities the pharmacists are to follow in the course of exercising collaborative authority, including documentation of decisions made, and a plan for communication and feedback to the authorizing practitioners concerning specific decisions made;  
		(6) a list of the specific types of patients eligible to receive services under the written protocol;  
		(7) a plan for the authorizing practitioners to review the decisions made by the pharmacists at least once every three months; and  
		(8) a plan for providing the authorizing practitioners with each patient record created under the written protocol.  
	(c)  To enter into a written protocol under this section, practitioners authorized to prescribe must be in active practice, and the authority granted must be within the scope of the practitioners' practice.  
	(d)  Unless the board is satisfied that the pharmacist has been adequately trained in the procedures outlined in the written protocol, the board will specify and require completion of additional training that covers those procedures before issuing approval of the protocol.  
	(e)  Documentation related to the written protocol must be maintained for at least two years.  
	(f)  The written protocol may be terminated upon written notice by the authorizing practitioners or pharmacists. The pharmacists shall notify the board in writing within 30 days after a written protocol is terminated.  
	(g)  Any modification to the written protocol must be approved by the board as required by this section for a new written protocol.  
	(h)  This section does not apply to participation, by a pharmacist practicing in an institutional facility in drug therapy protocols and guidelines approved by the institutional facility's pharmacy and therapeutics committee or by another medical staff governing body of that institutional facility, if records related to the drug therapy protocols and guidelines are maintained and made available to the board upon request.  
	(i)  A signed copy of the approved collaborative practice application and protocols must remain at the pharmacy location at all times.  

Authorities

08.80.030;08.80.480

Notes

Reference

12 AAC 40.983
12 AAC 52.995
7 AAC 120.110

Authority

AS 08.80.030 AS 08.80.480

History

Eff. 11/10/2001, Register 160; am 2/11/2004, Register 169; am 11/16/2012, Register 204