Section 1140-03-.16 - CENTRALIZED PRESCRIPTION PROCESSINGCentralized Prescription Processing:
(1) A pharmacy may perform or outsource centralized prescription processing services to another pharmacy, provided that the following criteria are satisfied:(a) Both pharmacies shall be licensed by the State of Tennessee;(b) Both pharmacies shall share a common electronic file or both shall have the appropriate technology to allow each other access to information that is necessary to fill or refill a prescription order; and(c) Both pharmacies shall have the same owner or in the event that the pharmacies do not have the same owner, then the pharmacies shall enter a written contract stating the services that will be provided by each pharmacy as well as the responsibilities of each pharmacy in fulfilling the terms of the contract and in complying with federal and state laws and rules.(2) The pharmacy performing or contracting for centralized prescription processing services shall maintain a policy and procedures manual stating how prescription orders will be filled or refilled through centralized prescription processing. The pharmacies shall provide the Board with a copy of the manual and appropriate documentation of the processes for the Board's review, upon the Board's request. The pharmacies shall ensure that the manual includes, but is not limited to the following: (a) A description of how the pharmacies will comply with federal and state law and rules;(b) The maintenance of records to identify the responsible pharmacist(s) in the dispensing process;(c) The maintenance of a mechanism for tracking the prescription order during each step of the dispensing process: 1. The maintenance of a mechanism to identify all of the pharmacies involved in dispensing the prescription order on the prescription label;2. Adequate security measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the patient information; and3. The maintenance of a quality assurance program for pharmacy services designed to objectively and systematically monitor and evaluate the quality of patient care, the identification of problems with patient care and the resolution of any identified problems with patient care.(d) The pharmacies that are not physically located in the State of Tennessee shall comply with Tenn. Code Ann Title 63, Chapter 10 and the rules of the State of Tennessee Board of Pharmacy.Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1140-03-.16
New rule filed November 24, 2008; effective February 7, 2009. Amendments filed November 22, 2016; effective 2/20/2017.Authority: Chapter 966 of the Public Acts of 2008, § 1, and T.C.A. § 63-10-304.