PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

[Filed February 25, 2020, 9:40 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-945 WAC, Pharmacy quality assurance commission (commission), the department of health (department), in consultation with the commission, is considering creating a new section in the chapter of rule to move existing licensing fees collected by the commission into the new consolidated chapter created by the commission. The department, in consultation with the commission, will also consider changes to renewal cycles, and restructuring the fees for drug researchers as requested by stakeholders during public comment of the pharmacy chapter rewrite.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 43.70.110 and 43.70.250.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Existing pharmacy fees and renewal cycles are currently adopted in rule. Rule making may be necessary to ensure that the existing pharmacy fee rules are moved to the new single chapter, consistent with the structure of other health profession rules. Amendments to the existing fee and renewal cycle rules may also be necessary to align the two-year renewal cycle with the revised continuing education requirements that will be in the new consolidated single chapter. If changes to the fees and renewal cycles are not made to coincide with the revised continuing education requirements licensees may be required to complete double the amount of continuing education in a single year.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Not applicable.

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 Caitlin Gates, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone 360-236-2932, TTY 711, email pharmacyrules@doh.wa.gov.

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for John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH