Indiana sets pharmacist licensing and remote pharmacy staffing rules

Applicants must meet the listed age, education, background, internship, and exam requirements to qualify for a pharmacist license. Applicants must be at least 18 and may not have a crime conviction that directly bears on their ability to practice competently. Applicants with pharmacy degrees from outside the United States and Canada must provide school records and obtain the named certificate. Canadian pharmacy graduates must obtain that certificate before taking the licensing exam. The text says these requirements take effect upon passage.

The board may license pharmacists from other states who meet the listed requirements. The routes cover pharmacists licensed in another state; the text sets different education requirements based on where they earned their pharmacy degree. Applicants need approval from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and must pass a board exam on federal and Indiana pharmacy laws and rules. Applicants with degrees from outside the United States and Canada must also provide school records and proof of the required pharmacy graduate certificate. The text says these provisions take effect upon passage.

A remote dispensing facility without a pharmacist on site must have a licensed, experienced, certified technician supervised by a pharmacist. The staffing ratio is one pharmacist for every six interns and pharmacy technicians across the supervising pharmacy and remote facility; cashiers whose only duty is cashiering do not count. The technician needs at least 2,000 hours of pharmacy work under a pharmacist’s direct supervision, must pass an approved certification exam, and must be in good standing. For a facility in a hospital or physician clinic, the technician must also meet a training requirement or have gained the required experience before July 1, 2017. A pharmacist must supervise operations through computer, video, and audio links. A technician in training may work there only when a pharmacist is on site. The text says these provisions take effect upon passage.

One administrative rule is void, and the pharmacy board must amend another rule to match the pharmacist licensing provisions. The directions concern Indiana rules 856 IAC 1-3.1-1 and 856 IAC 1-4-1. The publisher of the Indiana Administrative Code and Indiana Register must remove 856 IAC 1-3.1-1. Both directions take effect upon passage. The sections containing them expire July 1, 2028.