FUNDING, EXPERTISE, AND OVERSIGHT OF STATE BOARDS OF PHARMACY

To advocate appropriate oversight of pharmacy practice and the pharmaceutical supply chain through coordination and cooperation of state boards of pharmacy and related agencies whose mission it is to protect the public health; further,

To advocate adequate representation on state boards of pharmacy and related agencies by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians representing hospitals and health systems; further,

To advocate for the dedicated funds for the exclusive use by state boards of pharmacy and related agencies to carry out expected duties; further,

To advocate for consistent application of state boards of pharmacy regulations by inspectors with demonstrated competency in diverse pharmacy practice areas and the implementation of adequate inspection schedules to ensure the effective oversight and regulation of pharmacy practice; further,

To advocate state boards of pharmacy develop quality assurance processes for evaluating the performance of inspectors to ensure consistency.

Rationale

In recent years, the regulatory scope of boards of pharmacy has grown to address new and expanded scopes of practice and healthcare while fulfilling their mission of protecting the public health. In addition, coordination with federal agencies (e.g., Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration) and related state agencies adds to the complexity of a state board’s mission. With this expanded scope and mission comes the need for additional resources, both financial and human. Specific knowledge acquired by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians is essential to the safe regulation of practice. Thus, inspectors need to have demonstrated competency in the applicable area of practice in order to assure the health and safety of the public. Further, inspectors should provide evidence for variance to established BOP rules to ensure that rules are applied as objectively and consistently as possible.