SB 848 — Telepharmacy

Florida Senate - 2018 CS for SB 848 ByFirst theEngrossed Committee2018848e1 onA Healthbill Policy;to be entitled An act relating to telepharmacy;

and Senator Grimsley 588-02911-18 2018848c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to telepharmacy;

authorizing a registeredcertified pharmacy technician to dispense medicinal drugs under certain conditions;

defining the term “clinic”;

providing ancertification and experience requirementrequirements for a registeredcertified pharmacy technician working at a remote site pharmacy;

prohibiting a registeredcertified pharmacy technician from performing sterile or nonsterile compounding;

providing an exception;

6. The term “remote dispensing site pharmacy” includes every location where medicinal drugs are prepared by a registeredcertified pharmacy technician who is electronically supervised by an offsite pharmacist and dispensed pursuant to s.

or 4. An offsite pharmacist from remotely supervising a registeredcertified pharmacy technician at a remote dispensing site pharmacy.

465.014 Pharmacy technician.— (1) A person other than a licensed pharmacist or pharmacy intern may not engage in the practice of the profession of pharmacy, except that a licensed pharmacist may delegate to pharmacy technicians who are certified registered pursuant to this section those duties, tasks, and functions that do not fall within the purview of s.

However, a registeredcertified pharmacy technician may dispense medicinal drugs when operating under the electronic supervision of an offsite Florida licensed pharmacist pursuant to s.

A certified registered pharmacy technician, under the supervision of a pharmacist, may initiate or receive communications with a practitioner or his or her agent, on behalf of a patient, regarding refill authorization requests.

A licensed pharmacist may not supervise more than one certified registered pharmacy technician unless otherwise permitted by the guidelines adopted by the board.

This paragraph does not apply to a registeredcertified pharmacy technician dispensing medicinal drugs pursuant to s.

For purposes of this subsection, “supervising pharmacy” means a licensed pharmacy in this state which employs a Florida licensed pharmacist who remotely supervises a registeredcertified pharmacy technician at a remote dispensing site pharmacy.

(c) Be located in ana arearural definedhospital as ruraldefined pursuantin to s.

381.0406395.602. and be at least 10 miles from an existing community pharmacy, unless the remote dispensing site pharmacy is located in a hospital licensed under chapter 395 or in a clinic.

For purposes of this paragraph, the term “clinic” means an entity where health care services are provided to individuals and which tenders charges for reimbursement for such services, excluding a mobile clinic and a portable equipment provider.

A remote dispensing pharmacy may not store, hold, or dispense narcotic controlled substances listed in s.

(g) The specific duties, tasks, and functions that a registeredcertified pharmacy technician is authorized to perform at the remote dispensing site pharmacy.

(9) A registeredcertified pharmacy technician must be certified by a pharmacy technician certification program that is accredited by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies and have completed at least 2,080 hours of experience at a pharmacy within the 2 years immediately preceding the date on which the registeredcertified pharmacy technician begins employment at the remote dispensing site pharmacy.

(10) A registeredcertified pharmacy technician working at a remote dispensing site pharmacy may not perform sterile or complex nonsterile compounding.compounding, except that a certified pharmacy technician may reconstitute orally administered powder antibiotics.