Link to RI Pharmacy Rules and Regulations:
https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/216-40-15-1
COVID 19 Emergency Pharmacy Regulations
See below for details, however some key authorizations:
1) Pharmacist may authorize emergency supply up to 90 days of non-controls.
2) Pharmacist may auto-sub within the same therapeutic class
3) CPR expiration date extended
4) Pharmacists and Techs may work remotely
Questions or concerns email it to info@ripharmacists.org
1.2 Definitions
A. Wherever used in this Part the following terms shall be construed as follows:
3. “Active Ingredient” means any component that provides pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or animals.
9. “Auto Substitute” means the replacing of the prescribed product with either a generic product, another brand of the prescribed product, a product with the same active ingredient but different inactive ingredients, or a different drug within the same therapeutic class as the prescribed product, without being required to obtain prescriber authorization.
39. “COVID-19” means the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2.
49. “Dispense as written” means the prescriber’s instructions regarding authorization for substitution with generic equivalents or ordering of the specific prescribed medication with instructions on the prescription stating “DO NOT SUBSTITUTE.”
65. “Executive Orders” means Executive Order 20-02 (Declaration of Disaster) and 20-18 (Extension of Declaration of Disaster) issued by the Governor of Rhode Island.
1.15 COVID-19 Emergency Response Related to Pharmacy Practices and Procedures
A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Part to the contrary, during the pendency of the state of emergency declared by the governor for the State of Rhode Island on March 9, 2020 due to the dangers to health and life posed by COVID-19, the practice of pharmacy shall include and permit the following practices and procedures:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.4.24 of this Part, or any other provision of this Part to the contrary, any pharmacist is authorized to dispense an emergency supply of prescribed medication of up to ninety (90) days for continuation of therapy. This provision shall not apply to controlled substances.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.5.18 of this Part, or any other provision of this Part to the contrary, any pharmacist is authorized to auto-substitute a prescribed product without having to adhere to a dispense-as-written directive.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.4.9 of this Part, or any other provision of this Part to the contrary, an intern holding a valid, active intern license from another state, as verified by the hiring pharmacy, is permitted to work in any pharmacy located in Rhode Island.
4. Any immunizing pharmacist, immunizing intern, or immunizing technician II currently holding a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training certificate as of March 1, 2020, shall be deemed to have a current CPR training certificate, as required in § 1.11.1 of this Part, notwithstanding the stated expiration date of the certification.
5. Any pharmacy is authorized to permit pharmacists to work remotely, as operationally feasible and in accordance with applicable state and federal law, to conduct prescription data entry, prescription verification, clinical pharmacy, and other functions that are normally performed in a pharmacy.
6. Any pharmacy is authorized to permit pharmacy technicians to work remotely, as operationally feasible and in accordance with applicable state and federal law, conduct order entry and other functions that are normally performed in a pharmacy.
7. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.5.15 of this Part, or any other provision of this Part to the contrary, prescriptions may transferred for any purposes between pharmacies and may be transferred an unlimited number of times.
8. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.5.27(C)(5) of this Part, or any other provision of this Part to the contrary, a hospital may refuse to store its patients’ personal medications in its pharmacy and may direct that personal medications be stored securely in the patients’ rooms or returned to the patients’ homes. Patient personal medications may be administered to the patient during a hospital stay, if necessary.
9. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.7 of this Part, or any other provision of this Part to the contrary, compounding personnel are permitted to adhere to current recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or other nationally recognized public health agency for use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during non-hazardous sterile compounding for the purpose of conserving PPE resources.
10. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.7(E)(2) of this Part, or any other provision of this Part to the contrary, pharmacies that engage in the pharmaceutical preparation of CSPs are permitted to extend the period for certification inspections beyond six (6) months, subject to approval by the Director.
11. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.6.1(3) of this Part, which sets forth certain responsibilities of licensed pharmacies and pharmacists providing
pharmaceutical services by contract to nursing, hospice, or correctional facilities to be set forth in written policies and procedures, the responsibilities referenced in § 1.6.1(3)(e) and (f) of this Part are suspended.
12. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1.5.3(B) of this Part, in the event that a hospital establishes an alternate hospital site (AHS), the license of any retail pharmacy owned by the hospital shall be extended to the AHS. The extension of the retail license shall terminate automatically upon closure of the AHS or conclusion of the state of emergency declared on March 9, 2020, whichever happens first. In accordance with § 1.5.3 of this Part, the retail pharmacy license extension shall not be transferable to any other site.
