WSR 18-09-066

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed April 16, 2018, 2:21 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Title 246 WAC, the pharmacy quality assurance commission (commission) is considering revising its rules around professional standards for pharmacy personnel under the commission's jurisdiction and considering reorganizing these standards into a new chapter or chapters to address any changes identified as needed.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: Chapters 18.64, 18.64A, 69.41, 69.50, and 69.51 RCW.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The commission is responsible for setting the standards for licensing of pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and facilities and locations where drugs are created, made, distributed, sold, and dispensed. A 2017 review of all of the commission's rules has shown a majority are out-of-date, sixty percent of the commission's thirty-four chapters of WAC have not been amended since the 1980s. Health care delivery and the role of pharmacists and other pharmacy personnel has changed dramatically over the last thirty years, and outdated rules have led to inconsistent application and interpretation of rules. Following the review and examination, the commission determined it needed to reexamine and consider aligning existing standards with current pharmacy practice, trends and industry standards. Reexamining the standards may involve reorganizing or replacing standards in chapters currently in place.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Washington state attorney general's office will be kept up-to-date throughout the rule-making process to ensure they are apprised of any new standards.

Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative rule making.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Tracy West, P.O. Box 47850, Olympia, WA 98504-7850, phone 360-236-4988, TTY 360-833-6388 or 711, email tracy.west@doh.wa.gov.

Additional comments: Interested parties can sign up for and receive updates on all rule projects through the commission's GovDelivery email lists. Additional updates will be posted regularly on the commission's Rules in Progress web site.

April 16, 2018

Tim Lynch, PharmD, MS, Chair

Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission