Texas to Open COVID-19 Vaccination to
All Adults on March 29, 2021
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS) issued a news release on March 23, 2021 announcing that the state plans to open COVID-19 vaccinations to all adults beginning March 29, 2021. DSHS is still urging vaccine providers to prioritize older Texans when scheduling appointments. DSHS will also be launching a vaccine registration website soon to help facilitate vaccine rollout across the state.
Read the full Texas DSHS news release here and visit the main Texas DSHS COVID-19 vaccine information page here.
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Additional amendments to PREP Act
add additional categories of qualified immunizers
The latest amendment to the PREP Act expands qualified persons that may administer COVID-19 vaccines. The summary chart below outlines how the PREP Act amendments to date affect vaccine-related duty permissions for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Click the chart image below to open full-size in a new window.
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FDA updated storage and transportation conditions for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
The FDA now allows more flexible storage and transportation conditions for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. From the news release:
“Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is allowing undiluted frozen vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to be transported and stored at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to two weeks. This reflects an alternative to the preferred storage of the undiluted vials in an ultra-low temperature freezer between -80ºC to -60ºC (-112ºF to -76ºF). The change is being reflected in updates to the Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers).”
Read the full release here and read the Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) here.
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DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
April 24, 2021
The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held on April 24, 2021 from 10am to 2pm. From the DEA:
"The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths."
Learn more about the DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, locate collection sites, and access additional resources on DEA's website here: takebackday.dea.gov
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REMINDER:
CE Opportunity - Texas Opioid Training Initiative
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy launched the Texas Opioid Training Initiative (TXOTI) last year. This series of CE courses is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Texas Targeted Opioid Response and offers pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other healthcare providers over ten hours of free CE. Topics covered may be counted toward the recently adopted requirements of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances and pain management, depending upon the course objectives and content.
Learn more about TXOTI here: sites.utexas.edu/PhARM/txoti/
For more information about pharmacist and pharmacy technician CE requirements, visit us here and select your license type to learn more: www.pharmacy.texas.gov/ce
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ENFORCEMENT & COMPLIANCE
REMINDERS
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REMINDER:
Individuals performing pharmacy technician duties
must have an ACTIVE registration
Individuals performing pharmacy technician duties must have an active Texas pharmacy technician registration. Pharmacy technicians with expired or delinquent registrations may not perform pharmacy technician duties. National certification (via PTCB and/or NHA) does not allow a pharmacy technician to practice in Texas unless the pharmacy technician also has an active Texas registration through TSBP.
To verify the status of a pharmacy technician registration, visit our pharmacy technician verification page. You can search by registration number and/or by name.
Delinquent registrations can be renewed without relicensure. For information about renewing a delinquent registration, visit our website here:
www.pharmacy.texas.gov/licensees/renew-pharm-tech.asp
For information about relicensure due to an expired registration, visit our website here:
www.pharmacy.texas.gov/licensees/relicensure-tech-expired.asp
Verify all license types regulated by TSBP from our main verification page here:
hwww.pharmacy.texas.gov/dbsearch/default.asp
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REMINDER:
Posting and Providing
Complaint Information to Consumers
Pharmacies must provide notification to consumers of the name, address, internet site, and telephone number of the board for the purpose of directing complains concerning the practice of pharmacy to the board. This notification can be provided:
- In clear public view for walk-in customers
- In an electronic messaging system
- As a written notification with each dispensed prescription
- As a written notification with each delivered prescription
- NOTE: This provision does not apply to prescriptions for patients in facilities where drugs are administered to patients.
Although TSBP no longer provides this sign, it is still a requirement. See Board rule 291.3(h)(1)(A) for details.
In addition to complaint notification, if the prescription is delivered to the patient, the pharmacy must include the required written statement in English and Spanish. An example is provided below. See Board rule 291.33(c)(1)(F)(iii) for details.
EXAMPLE SIGNAGE:
Complaints against the practice of pharmacy may be filed with the:
Texas State Board of Pharmacy
William P. Hobby Building Ste. 3-500
333 Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas 78701-3942
Tel: (512)305-8000
www.pharmacy.texas.gov
Quejas contra la practica de la farmacia pueden ser reportadas al:
Concilio Farmacia Del Estada De Texas
William P. Hobby Building Ste. 3-500
333 Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas 78701-3942
Tel: (512)305-8000
www.pharmacy.texas.gov
Written information about this prescription has been provided for you. Please read this information before you take the medication. If you have any questions concerning this prescription, a pharmacist is available during normal business hours to answer these questions at:
Informaciòn escrita sobre esta receta se ha propocionado para usted. Por favor lea esta informaciòn antes de que usted se tome el medicamento. Si usted tiene preguntas referentes a esta receta, un farmacèutico està disponible durante horas de oficina normales para contestar estas preguntas al:
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Upcoming Board Meeting - May 11, 2021
TSBP Board Meetings are open to the public, and interested parties are encouraged to attend.*
Details of the upcoming meeting are as follows:
Date: May 11, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. – Conclusion
Location: Virtual Meeting (meeting link and additional information will be posted on the agenda)
Agenda Materials: Posted here when available
Live Stream Information: TSBP is now live streaming meetings. See this page for details.
*PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of remote meetings, TSBP will not be able to provide continuing education credit for this meeting since attendance cannot be verified.
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COVID-19 Resources for Pharmacy Professionals
TSBP regularly updates pharmacy-related COVID-19 information on our website. Visit us at www.pharmacy.texas.gov/coronavirus for more information and to see the latest updates.
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Can you recognize non-therapeutic dispensing?
Failure of pharmacies and pharmacists to detect patterns of inappropriate dispensing of prescription drugs is unprofessional practice and constitutes grounds for disciplinary action. Visit our website here for resources to help you recognize and prevent non-therapeutic dispensing in your pharmacy.
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Continuing Education (CE) Opportunities with TSBP
The Texas State Board of Pharmacy strives to bring additional learning opportunities to pharmacy professionals as the profession grows. TSBP offers several CE opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, with more to be added throughout the year. Take a look at our CE offerings on our catalog page here.
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Stay Connected with TSBP
As a licensing and regulatory agency, we want to make sure you get the information you need to practice pharmacy with the most accurate, up-to-date information possible, especially in such unprecedented times.
Here are some resources to help you keep connected with TSBP:
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HELP IS AVAILABLE
Do you know a pharmacist with any of the following symptoms?
- Depressed
- Drinking alcohol in more than moderate amounts
- Abusing drugs
- Has a physical or mental impairment
- Not practicing pharmacy in a manner that is in the public’s interest
If you do, please give the Texas Pharmacy Association’s Professional Recovery Network (PRN) an opportunity to help. All calls are kept strictly confidential.
For information, visit the PRN website HERE or call the toll free Help Line: 1 (800) 727-5152
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Upcoming Board Meetings
May 11, 2021
9 am, Board Business Meeting
August 3, 2021
9 am, Board Business Meeting
Board meeting agendas can always be found on our website here as each meeting date approaches and the agenda becomes available.
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