FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

 

Law Questions

Licensing Questions
Continuing Education Requirements
DEA General Questions
DEA Internet Questions

Licensure Statistics

Law Questions
 

A.  Yes- the patient is due the full capacity of the original prescription.
 

A.   No- once the prescription is dispensed it cannot be taken back into the pharmacy.  A nurse can destroy the prescribed medication with a witness present.
 

A.  No- only a licensed pharmacist can have keys to the pharmacy.
 

A.  No- the prescription must be filled as it is written.  The only way to give the generic is to call the physician and get approval.  Then you should write on the prescription, the name of the person who gave the approval and the date and time approved.
 

A.  No
 

Q.  Can I repackage medications from the VA into unit dose, for a nursing home patient?

A.  Yes- you must comply with all the provisions of the Alabama Pharmacy Practice Act and federal law regarding the dispensing of drugs including, but not limited to, recording keeping and documentation requirements, etc.

A.  Yes- when a pharmacist assumes the duties of supervising pharmacist, he or she must notify the Board within ten (10) days.  They must also take an inventory of all controlled substances to establish a baseline of responsibilities for these drugs.  It is recommended the inventory be taken with the outgoing supervising pharmacist if possible.

A.  Yes- State Law says that, prescriptions, orders and records of controlled substances enumerated in Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V shall be open for inspection only to federal, state, county and municipal officers, the investigators of the Board of Dental Examiners, and the agents and officers of the Department of Public Safety.

A: The following changes can be made on a prescription written for Schedule III-V controlled substances only after consulting with the prescribing physician.

A.  No controlled substance prescription may be legally pre-dated or post-dated.  Federal regulations require that a controlled substance prescription be dated with the date of issuance.

A.  No- under Federal and State regulations, all receipts of controlled substances by a pharmacy shall be reviewed and approved by a pharmacist.  Said review and approval shall be documented by the signature of a pharmacist employed by the pharmacy permit holder on the supplier’s invoice.

A.  No- a pharmacy is permitted to supply controlled drugs to a physician’s office provided the physician executes an order form for Schedule II drugs.  Distribution of Schedules III, IV, and V drugs to the physician’s office by a pharmacy must be evidenced by an invoice or other document.  One copy must be retained by the physician.  No controlled substances may be supplied to an office by prescription made out “for office use,” or any manner for patient and intended for office use.

A.  No- a licensed pharmacy or pharmacist shall not accept for refund purpose or otherwise any unused portion of any dispensed prescription.

A.  No- a pharmacy shall not authorize any person, firm, or business establishment to serve as a pick-up station or intermediary for the purpose of having prescriptions filled or delivered, whether for profit or gratuitously.

A.  No prescription blank supplied by a pharmacy or pharmacist to a practitioner shall bear the imprint thereon of the name or address of any pharmacy or bear the name or address of any person registered by the State Board.

A.  A prescription file or files shall be kept by every pharmacy for a period of not less than two years in which the original of every prescription compounded or dispensed shall be filed in the order of compounding with number and date of dispensing placed on each prescription.  However, we recommend keeping them 5 years.

A.  Yes-a hard copy of each prescription in the order it is dispensed, including number and date, must be maintained for a period of not less than two (2) years.

A.    No, you can refuse to fill any prescription you are not comfortable with.

A.    No, unless it is for a hospice patient, terminally ill patient, or resident of a Long Term Care Facility.

Q.  What do I do if I cannot fill a schedule II prescription with the full amount?

A.    You must fill the remainder within seventy-two (72) hours or call the doctor and tell him.

A.    Yes- state regulations require that you would have to employ a full time pharmacist, whose principal duty would be confined to on-premise pharmaceutical operations.

A.    Yes, if with the approval of the Board, it shall be not deemed to be supervising more than one (1) pharmacy where a pharmacist is supervising a pharmacy and, also, an institutional pharmacy which is open less than fifteen (15) hours per week.

Q.  What is the technician ratio?

A.    Yes

A.  There is no limit as to the amount.

A. No- whatever he is comfortable with filling each day.

A.  Yes, in any pharmacy that is staffed by a single pharmacist, the pharmacist may leave the pharmacy area or department, temporarily, for breaks and meal periods without closing the pharmacy and removing interns/externs and technicians from the pharmacy, if the pharmacist reasonably believes that the security of the controlled substances will be maintained in his or her absence.

Q.  How long are meal periods?

A.  The meal period is limited to thirty (30) minutes.  The pharmacist shall remain within the facility during the break period and be available to handle all emergency situations.

A.  No- it is your responsibility to keep up with them.  They can be kept at home or at the pharmacy.

A.  You must notify the Board of the date of closing, provide written notification of the whereabouts of the remaining drugs and the prescription files.  You must return the permit and controlled substance license for the current year, and send the Board a copy of the controlled substance inventory taken at the close of business.  Contact DEA and send them any unused 222 Forms and your DEA registration.

A.  You must attend a five (5) hour seminar for parenteral pharmacists, and the seminar must meet the criteria listed on the prior approval form for parenteral program certification approved by the Board.

A.  Contact the Board office, and submit the necessary paperwork.  An investigator will have to inspect the new location prior to relocating.

A.  No- there is currently no inactive status.  The license will become null and void due to non-payment.  All fees plus penalties must be paid if brought up to date at a later time.  Pharmacist- After five (5) years you must take the MPJE exam and be interviewed by the Board.

A.  Two (2) years.

A.  You can print a copy from our website at www.albop.com, or send a check for $7.00 to Alabama State Board of Pharmacy, 10 Inverness Center, Suite 110, Birmingham, AL 35242.

Q.  How can I get a pharmacy technician registration form?

A.  You can contact our office for any forms you need and they will be faxed or mailed to you, or you can print any form from our website at www.albop.com.

Q.  Is there a training period for technicians, before a registration is needed?

A.  No-they must have their registration in hand prior to performing any work as a technician.

Q.  How many CE hours does a pharmacist have to have per year?  How many hours can be carried over from the previous year?

A.  A pharmacist has to have participated in not less than fifteen (15) hours of approved CE per year, three (3) hours of which shall be of “live” exposure.  Hours of credit in excess of the minimum annual requirement may be carried forward for credit in the succeeding calendar year; however, no more than an excess of twelve (12) hours shall be carried to the succeeding calendar year.  Notwithstanding the above carry over provision, no less than three (3) “live” hours shall be obtained in each calendar year.

Q.  Does a technician have to have CE hours?

A.  Yes- a technician must have three (3) hours of CE every year.  One (1) of those CE hours must be a “live” credit hour.  Technicians are not allowed to carry over any hours from the previous year.

Q.  What are the requirements for becoming a consultant?

A.  Contact our office for the necessary paperwork.  Pharmacist must have taken the initial consultants course and have successfully completed an examination with a passing score of 75%.  The initial certification course shall be a ten (10) hour approved course consisting of the following subject matter:

Attend a seminar for consultant training of not less than six (6) live integrated hours approved by the Board not less than every year.  Hours cannot be carried over.  Not less than two (2) integrated hours shall be approved for any consultant re-certification CE program.

Fill out the ONLINE Consultant Application HERE.

Continuing Education Requirements
 

Pharmacists shall obtain no less than 15 hours of approved continuing (CE), three hours of which shall be of “live” exposure.  Hours in excess of the minimum annual requirement may be carried forward to the succeeding calendar year; however, no more than 12 hours shall be carried over and no less than three “live” hours shall be obtained in each calendar year. 

Consultant pharmacists shall obtain annually no less than six “live” consultant approved hours in not less than two “live” increments.  No “live” consultant hours can be carried over from each calendar year.  ONLINE Consultant Application.

Preceptor pharmacists must attend a preceptor approved training seminar at least once every three years. 

Parenteral pharmacists shall have attended a one-time, five-hour approved parenteral certification course, including didactic and hands-on experience, requiring a written exam as part of the training.

Nuclear pharmacists shall attend no less than a one hour, nuclear approved CE course each year.

Registered pharmacy technicians shall obtain not less than three hours of approved CE, one hour of which shall be of “live” exposure.  No hours in excess of the minimum requirement may be carried forward to the succeeding calendar year.

DEA General Questions

For D.E.A. questions and answers, please read them here.

DEA Internet Questions
For D.E.A. internet questions, please read them here.
 

Licensure Statistics

BOARD STATISTICS
Licensure Statistics as of January 2009