HB 323-EXTEND: BOARD OF PHARMACY                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:23:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 323,  "An Act extending  the termination  date of                                                               
the Board of Pharmacy; and providing for an effective date."                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO announced he would reintroduce HB 323 on behalf of                                                                   
Representative Sullivan-Leonard, prime sponsor, as she was                                                                      
unable to attend the bill hearing.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO paraphrased from the sponsor statement, which reads                                                                  
as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill 323  extends the  termination date  for the                                                                    
     Board  of  Pharmacy  to  June  30,  2022.  Pursuant  to                                                                    
     A.S.?08.03.010(  c)(16),  this  Board is  scheduled  to                                                                    
     sunset on June  30th, 2018 if the  legislature does not                                                                    
     pass legislation extending it.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Legislative Audit  reviewed the Board's  operations and                                                                    
     determined  that it  is  in the  best  interest of  the                                                                    
     state   to  extend   this   Board  considering   recent                                                                    
     statutory    changes    that   expand    the    Board's                                                                    
     responsibilities   in   relation  to   the   controlled                                                                    
     substance     prescription     database.     Therefore,                                                                    
     recommendation  is  made to  extend  this  Board for  4                                                                    
     years or through June 30, 2022.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     The  Board of  Pharmacy  is composed  of  7 members;  5                                                                    
     licensed pharmacists  actively engaged in  the practice                                                                    
     of  pharmacy in  the  State  for a  period  of 3  years                                                                    
     immediately preceding their  appointments and 2 members                                                                    
     of the public.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The Board  also regulates  admission into  the practice                                                                    
     of pharmacy,  establishes and enforces  compliance with                                                                    
     professional standards and  adopts regulations. It also                                                                    
     establishes  and   maintains  a   controlled  substance                                                                    
     prescription  database, and  establishes standards  for                                                                    
     the  independent  administration  by  a  pharmacist  of                                                                    
     vaccines,  related  emergency  medications  and  opioid                                                                    
     overdose drugs.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     The  Board  also  oversees licensing  for  pharmacists,                                                                    
     pharmacy  interns,  pharmacy  technicians,  pharmacies,                                                                    
     wholesale drug  distributors located inside  the state,                                                                    
     licenses  drug   rooms  located   inside  institutional                                                                    
     facilities  and   also  registers   pharmacies  located                                                                    
     outside  of the  State if  a pharmacy  ships, mails  or                                                                    
     delivers  prescription  drugs   to  consumers  of  that                                                                    
     state.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
        These regulations control various aspects of the                                                                        
     field, including but not limited to controlling and                                                                        
     regulating   the  practice   of  pharmacy   in  Alaska.                                                                    
     A.S.?08.80.005  mandates  that  effective  control  and                                                                    
     regulation  is  necessary   to  promote,  preserve  and                                                                    
     protect the public's health, safety and                                                                                    
     welfare.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:26:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON moved to report  HB 323 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.