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Minnesota Board of Pharmacy |
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Minnesota Board of Pharmacy |
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS. The following disciplinary actions have been taken by the Board between the dates of March 1, and June 1, 2000.
Pliner, Michael T., License #112066-2. Licensee admitted to the diversion of controlled substance drugs from his place of employment, and the unauthorized personal use of those drugs. Licensee was placed on probation with the Board, effective March 15, 2000.
Schipper, Ronald L., License #112867-7. Licensee admitted to having filled prescriptions for controlled substances for other persons that he knew or should have known were forged or altered documents. Licensee’s license to practice pharmacy was suspended indefinitely, effective April 26, 2000.
Stephens, Terri C., License #114201-9. Licensee admitted to abusing alcohol in a manner that could cause conduct endangering public health. Licensee was placed on probation with the Board, effective March 15, 2000.
BOARD EXAM OFFERED JUNE 6, 2000. On June 6, 2000, the Board of Pharmacy will administer the Practical Examination to the largest group of potential pharmacists in Board history. Approximately 150 candidates for licensure will sit for the Practical Exam on June 6, 2000.
To complete the examination process, each candidate must make their own appointment to take the NAPLEX Examination and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination. As a result, candidates will obtain licensure at various times over the next couple of months.
Pharmacists, who will be hiring any of the new licensees, must be sure the new pharmacist can produce a letter from the Board authorizing them to practice before scheduling them to act as pharmacists. Please don’t jeopardize the new licensee by scheduling them to work as pharmacists until they are actually authorized to do so.
CONTINUING EDUCATION REMINDER. Minnesota pharmacists should keep in mind that continuing education participation must be completed by September 30, 2000. During the late summer of this year, the Board will be sending affidavits to each licensed pharmacist on which continuing education participation must be confirmed.
Approximately 10% of Minnesota pharmacists will be audited regarding their continuing education participation, and will be required to submit documentation of having completed the required 30 hours of CE (a prorated number of hours will be required for new licensees). Please be sure your continuing education participation is up-to-date.
GOVERNOR VENTURA APPOINTS NEW BOARD MEMBER. At the beginning of January of 2000, the terms of office of Board Members Jeffery Lindoo and Charles Cooper expired. Under Minnesota Statutes, however, Board Members, whose terms have expired, are required to continue to serve until they are replaced or re-appointed.
At the beginning of April, Governor Ventura re-appointed Board Member Chuck Cooper (Director of Pharmacy at Hennepin County Medical Center), and appointed Pharmacist Betty Johnson (independent pharmacy owner from Elbow Lake) to replace Jeff Lindoo (Director of Long Term Care Pharmacy for Thrifty White).
The Board offers its sincere thanks to Jeff for his service on the Board and looks forward to working with Betty.
PATIENT COUNSELING AREAS NEED REVIEW. Board of Pharmacy rules, adopted a couple of years ago, require that patient counseling areas in Minnesota pharmacies provide "an assurance of privacy" for conversations between patients and pharmacists, effective January 1, 2001.
Minnesota pharmacy owners should review the physical layout of patient counseling areas at their pharmacies to make sure that the patient counseling area provides an opportunity for truly private conversations between pharmacists and patients. Obviously, a space designated for patient counseling, which is adjacent to a cash register or other busy area of the pharmacy, will not meet the privacy requirement.
While it is not necessary to construct a separate room for patient counseling activities, pharmacists do need to review the area designated for patient counseling to make sure that private conversations can be held between patients and pharmacists.
The Board intentionally refrained from providing specific standards for patient counseling areas, so that pharmacists would have a greater flexibility in designing a patient counseling area that best meets the needs and structural limitations of each pharmacy. Pharmacists should, however, look at their designated patient counseling area with a critical eye and ask themselves whether they would feel comfortable if they were the patient talking about sensitive issues to a pharmacist while others are present waiting for prescriptions to be processed.
DISPENSING ERRORS ON THE INCREASE. The number of complaints received at the Board offices during the first five months of 2000 appear to indicate that a substantial increase in dispensing errors is occurring. While there is no guarantee that the number of complaints filed bears any particular relationship to the number of dispensing errors occurring, there seems to be a substantial increase in the number of complaints filed.
During calendar year 1999, the Board received 57 written complaints from the public. Most of those involved dispensing errors. By prorating the number of complaints received during the first five months of 2000 over the rest of this year, it appears that we will receive approximately 86 complaints this year. Again, most of them involve dispensing errors.
The Board generally has not taken a punitive approach regarding dispensing errors, but has worked with pharmacists to identify systems’ shortcomings that contribute to errors. Corrections to the systems’ shortcomings can then be made which will serve to lessen the likelihood of a similar type error being made again in the future.
Pharmacist are encouraged to establish an in-house reporting and review procedure for all dispensing errors brought to the attention of pharmacy staff. The circumstances surrounding each error can then be used as a teaching tool to prevent similar such errors from occurring in the future.
The Board recognizes that staffing levels often impact the likelihood that errors might occur, and would encourage pharmacists not to attempt to fill more prescriptions than be done safely. It is certainly safe to say that patients would rather wait for a prescription correctly filled, than receive the wrong prescription quickly.
TECHNICIAN RATIO CHANGES AGAIN. During the Legislative Session, which just recently ended, the Legislature again amended the statutory language relating to the use of pharmacy technicians in Minnesota. Effective August 1, 2000, the ratio of pharmacy technicians-to-pharmacists in Minnesota pharmacies is changed to allow one additional technician per pharmacy, provided that the technician is certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, or other national technician certifying bodies.
As a result, the overall ratio becomes two technicians for each pharmacist on duty, plus one extra certified technician per pharmacy. Thus, if there is one pharmacist on duty, three technicians could be on duty with that pharmacist, provided that one of the technicians is certified by the PTCB. If two pharmacists are on duty, five technicians could be on duty with those pharmacists, provided, again, that one of the technicians is PTCB certified. The basic ratio now becomes two-to-one, plus one, provided the "plus one" is a PTCB certified technician.
VISIT THE BOARD’S WEBSITE. The Board has been getting numerous favorable comments about the usefulness of its new website. If you haven’t already done so, please visit the Board’s website at www.phcybrd.state.mn.us.
Comments and suggestions on how we might further improve the website are always welcome.
HPSP OFFERS HELP FOR IMPAIRED PHARMACISTS/TECHNICIANS. Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, like anyone else, are susceptible to substance abuse and psychiatric illness. Left untreated, these problems can put them and their patients at risk. "Many health care practitioners don’t get the help they need," explained Sheila Specker, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, "this is usually due to the social stigma, fear of exposure or their lack of awareness." Until recently, the only options were to ignore the potential impairment, or file a report with the licensing board.
Created in 1994, as an alternative to board discipline, the MN Health Professionals Services Program (HPSP) offers a proactive way to fulfill reporting requirements and get confidential help for illnesses such as chemical dependency, psychiatric disorders, or medication conditions. By law, health professionals in Minnesota can report their illness or the potential impairment of a colleague to the licensing board or to HPSP. Most choose HPSP because it is confidential, supportive, and non-disciplinary.
Many health professionals are unclear about their legal obligations and feel uneasy about reporting themselves or a colleague to HPSP. Getting involved in the personal issues of another professional is a difficult decision. All referrals made to HPSP are regarded as privileged data and kept confidential. Anyone who submits a report "in good faith" is immune from civil liability or criminal prosecution (Minn. Stat. 214.34). Employers can satisfy their reporting requirements by contacting HPSP.
"Early intervention allows for successful treatment before clinical skills and safety are compromised," added Dr. Specker. So far, 55% of the participants in HPSP are chemically dependent. Thirty-four percent suffer from a psychiatric illness, usually depression or bipolar mood disorder. The remaining 11% have been diagnosed with a medical condition, often a neurological problem that warrants monitoring.
Over 1200 health professionals have enrolled in HPSP since it began five years ago. Thirty-six percent referred themselves to the program, and 12% were reported by a third party, usually a co-worker or employer. All others were referred by their board under a stipulation and order, or as a follow-up to an earlier evaluation and diagnosis.
HPSP is funded entirely by licensing fees, with all services provided at no cost. Eligible practitioners, licensed in Minnesota, can receive evaluation, referral, and monitoring services without board involvement – as long as they comply with program expectations. The program monitors treatment progress, work quality and medications, along with attendance at support groups and random urine screens if alcohol or drug use is part of the illness. Individual terms might include counseling and work limitations. Typically, agreements are for 36 months.
To learn more about HPSP, or how to refer someone who may have an illness, call (651) 643-2120, visit their website at www.hpsp.state.mn.us. or write for information at 1885 University Avenue, Suite 229, St. Paul, MN 55104.
