070.00.00 Ark. Code R. 001

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 10, October, 2024

Rule 070.00.00-001 - 09-00-0002 - Prescription Orders to Administer Medication or Immunizations

A. MEDICATIONS ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE:

1. The purpose of the Medication Administration Advisory Committee shall include functioning in an advisory capacity to assist the Board with implementation and oversight of the provisions regarding medication administration authority.

2. The Medication Administration Advisory Committee shall be composed of five members, to be approved by the Governor, who have the following qualifications:

a. Two members shall be licensed physicians selected from a list of three names per position submitted jointly by the State Medical Board and the Arkansas Medical Society.

b. Two members shall be licensed pharmacists-- one pharmacist shall be recommended by the Arkansas Pharmacists Association and one pharmacist shall be a member of the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy.

c. One member shall be an advanced practice nurse holding a certificate of prescriptive authority selected from a list of three names submitted jointly by the State Nursing Board and the Arkansas Nurses Association.

d. The Board may remove any advisory committee member, after notice and hearing for incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.

e. The members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed to the extent special moneys are appropriated therefor for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

3. The five initial members appointed to the committee shall draw lots to determine staggered lengths of their initial terms. Successive members shall serve three (3) year terms.

B. AUTHORITY FOR PHARMACIST TO ADMINISTER MEDICATIONS/IMMUNIZATIONS:

1. Pharmacists may provide pharmaceutical care to patients over the age of eighteen (18) by administering medications or immunizations to an eligible patient upon a valid prescription order by a practitioner so authorized to prescribe such medications or immunizations. A prescription order for a medication or immunization shall constitute a unique class of prescriptions and shall apply to any person over the age of eighteen (18) desiring a medication or immunization. A prescription from a practitioner for administration, by a pharmacist, of an approved medication or immunization will be known as an "Authority to Administer."

2. An Authority to Administer, once granted, is valid for a time period not to exceed one (1) year-unless such an order is invalidated by the practitioner granting the authority.

3. An Authority to Administer is valid only for the pharmacist meeting the requirements set forth by the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy and is not transferable.

4. Unless otherwise specifically authorized, by the Board, a person must possess the following qualifications to be qualified to accept an initial Authority to Administer order:

a. obtain and maintain a license to practice pharmacy issued by the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy;

b. successfully complete a Board approved course of study, examination, and certification consisting of a training program that includes the current guidelines and recommendations of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The Course of study should include, at a minimum:

(i) basic immunology, including the human immune response;

(ii) the mechanism of immunity, adverse effects, dose, and administration schedule of available vaccines and approved medication/immunization;

(iii) how to handle an emergency situation in the event one should arise as a result of the administration of the medication /immunization;

(iv) how to persuade patients to be immunized and options for record keeping for patients that do get immunized;

(v) how to administer subcutaneous, intradermal, and intramuscular injection; and

(vi) record keeping requirements for these medications as required by law or regulation.

c. obtain supervised instructions on the physical administration of vaccines during such course of study and certification;

d. obtain and maintain current certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS); and

e. successfully complete the above described course of study which shall be a minimum of 20 hours and shall qualify for continuing education credits. The provider of said course of study shall provide participants a certificate of completion which shall be displayed in the pharmacy at which the pharmacist is working. A copy of said certificate shall be mailed to the Board of Pharmacy offices and placed in the pharmacist's permanent file.

5. Continuing competency for certification for Authority to Administer must be maintained. A minimum of one (1) hour of the fifteen (15) hour requirement for continuing education, every year, must be dedicated to this area of practice.

6. An Authority to Administer order shall meet the following requirements:

a. must properly identify the practitioner issuing the order;

b. must identify the medication or vaccine covered in any such order

c. must properly identify the patient to receive any medication or immunization, by name, address, age, sex, and date of administration;

d. must identify the medication or vaccine administered, site of the administration, dose administered, identity of pharmacist administering the dose; and

e. must bear the date of the original order and the date of each administration.

C. SEVEN CLASSIFICATIONS OF APPROVED MEDICATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION

1. Immunizations

2. Vaccines

3. Allergy Medications

4. Vitamins

5. Minerals

6. Antihyperglycemics

7. Anti-nausea Medications

09-00-0002-PRESCRIPTION ORDERS TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION AND/OR IMMUNIZATIONS