The Florida legislature took aim at pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) during the 2023 legislative session by enacting the Prescription Drug Reform Act, Chapter 2023-29, Laws of Florida (https://laws.flrules.org/2023/29) (the...more
Chapter 2022-60, Laws of Florida (http://laws.flrules.org/2022/60), that went into effect July 1, 2022, allows registered pharmacy technicians to seek certification to provide immunizations and become “Certified Registered...more
Pharmacists and other providers should beware of a medical consent requirement buried in the new “Parents’ Bill of Rights” signed by Governor Desantis. The law will be codified at Fla. Statutes § 1014.06 and became effective...more
While the COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a trying year, one unintended benefit was that the Florida legislature allowed pharmacists to further expand their scope of practice to help patients with certain chronic conditions...more
Florida has been contemplating ways to increase patient access to care, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipated increase in cases. Recognizing the accessibility of pharmacies, Florida is now...more
6/19/2020
/ Chronic Care Managment (CCM) ,
Clinical Laboratory Testing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Florida ,
Patient Access ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Pharmacist ,
Screening Procedures ,
Virus Testing
Pharmacists can now engage in a new role in the battle against COVID-19 – testing patients for the virus. Recognizing the advanced health care training that pharmacists receive and the unique consumer access to community...more
The catchphrase of the day is “social distancing” and it is the primary means of flattening the COVID-19 pandemic (the pandemic) curve by keeping contagious and healthy people apart. However, there is another kind of...more
Like many states, Florida requires consultant pharmacists to conduct on-site monthly visits to the facilities to which they provide pharmacy services. The visits are required for Modified Class IIB Pharmacy Permits, Special...more
At both the federal level and within Florida, there are the beginnings of the seeds of change regarding drug importation policies. President Trump and Governor DeSantis have both been HUGE supporters of drug importation as a...more
8/26/2019
/ Canada ,
Drug Distribution ,
Drug Pricing ,
FDA Approval ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Florida ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Imports ,
Medical Devices ,
NPRM ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements
International export pharmacies took another step forward towards a separate, distinct licensure in Florida as the Florida Board of Pharmacy held a specially called Rules Sub-Committee Meeting on June 27, 2019, to address the...more
7/24/2019
/ Biologics ,
Exports ,
Florida ,
Imports ,
Licensing Rules ,
Medical Devices ,
Permits ,
Pharmaceutical Distribution ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Standards ,
State and Local Government
Governor Desantis recently signed House Bill 831, which will require certain healthcare practitioners to “electronically transmit prescriptions”. Unfortunately, the legislature left this term undefined, creating some...more
7/2/2019
/ Controlled Substances ,
Electronic Health Record Incentives ,
Electronic Prescribing ,
Florida ,
Health Care Providers ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
The Florida legislature passed HB 21, which imposes a number of new requirements on prescribers and pharmacists regarding controlled substance prescribing and dispensing. Part of the law requires pharmacists to verify the...more
At the close of the 2018 session, the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 675, which if allowed to become law by the Governor, will help hospitals and their facilities that are under common control manage their...more
3/19/2018
/ Controlled Substances ,
Drug Distribution ,
Florida ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescribing Authority ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight
Prior to the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) only “physicians” could dispense and prescribe narcotic drugs for maintenance and detoxification treatment. CARA expanded who may prescribe for maintenance...more
1/30/2018
/ Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) ,
DEA ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Florida ,
Health Care Providers ,
Nurse Practitioners ,
Opioid ,
Pain Management ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physician Assistants ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
SAMHSA
After Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida, a nursing home in South Florida lost power, and several residents of that nursing home died allegedly as the result of increased temperatures caused by the loss of air...more
1/17/2018
/ Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) ,
Disaster Preparedness ,
Elder Care ,
Emergency Generators ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Emergency Rule ,
Florida ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hurricane Irma ,
Natural Disasters ,
Nursing Homes ,
Power Outages ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Severe Weather
During the 2016 legislative session, Florida granted authority to both advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to prescribe controlled substances, subject to approval by their...more
The Florida Board of Pharmacy (BOP) recently amended the rules regarding community pharmacy hours of operation to reduce required daily operating hours from 40 to 20 hours per week. As before, the hours have to be posted and...more
Florida’s 2015 Legislative Session ushered in two new laws affecting pharmacies: One addressing pharmacist immunizations (HB 279) and the second clarifies that veterinarians are authorized to dispense compounded drugs and...more
7/13/2015
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Compliance ,
DQSA ,
Drug Compounding ,
Florida ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmacies ,
Pharmacist ,
Vaccinations ,
Veterinarians