Description should include regularly monitoring the major state pharmacy-related laws and regulations, including
- statutes (e.g., Virginia Drug Control Act)
- regulations of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy
- other requirements of pharmacy technicians
- Virginia statutory requirements for United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards.
Compliance should also include monitoring the major federal laws and regulations related to drugs and pharmacy practice, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
- Controlled Substances Act
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Other pharmacy-related laws enforced by the FDA
- Poison Prevention Packaging Act
See ASHP 2.2., 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5.
Process/Skill Questions:
- What resources are available for maintaining awareness of current state and federal pharmacy-related laws and regulations?
- Why is compliance with such laws and regulations essential for the pharmacy technician and for the patient?
- How do the state and federal government intervene when determining the types of tasks that technicians can perform in a pharmacy setting?
- How do state and federal laws and regulations differ according to the pharmacy setting?
- Which USP chapters oversee sterile (797), non-sterile (795), and hazardous (800) compounding?
- In what cases might a pharmacy’s policies and procedures be more restrictive than state and federal laws and regulations?