Ariz. Admin. Code § 4-23-1104.01

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 25, June 21, 2024

Section R4-23-1104.01 - Technology-assisted Verification of Product

A. By complying with this Section, the permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy may implement a technology-assisted verification of product program that allows a pharmacy technician licensed under R4-23-1102 and qualified under subsection (D) to perform final product verification.

B. Written program description required. Before implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program the permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy shall prepare a written program description that includes the following:

1. Responsibility of both the pharmacist in charge and permittee to ensure compliance with this Section;

2. Responsibility of the permittee to design, implement, and monitor a process that ensures the accuracy and safety of the product dispensed;

3. Duties of a verification technician;

4. The training necessary to qualify and remain qualified as a verification technician;

5. The monitoring and evaluation procedures to be used to ensure competency of the verification technician; and

6. Prohibition of a verification technician performing a final accuracy check of a completed prescription label.

C. The permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program shall:

1. Post the written program description required under subsection (B) in the pharmacy area;

2. Provide a copy of the written program description to the pharmacist in charge and verification technician;

3. Obtain the signature of the pharmacist in charge and verification technician on a copy of the written program description and place the signed copy in the personnel file of the pharmacist in charge and verification technician;

4. Ensure scanning technology used in the technology-assisted verification program captures both product and patient information; and

5. Update the written program description as needed and repeat subsections (C)(1) through (4) after each update.

D. Verification technician training: The permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program shall ensure a pharmacy technician does not perform the duties of a verification technician unless the pharmacy technician has the following qualifications:

1. Is licensed under R4-23-1102;

2. Has at least 1,000 hours of pharmacy technician work experience in the same kind of pharmacy practice site in which the technology-assisted verification of product will be performed;

3. Completes a training program that includes at least the following:

a. Role of a verification technician in the dispensing process,

b. Legal requirements of a verification technician,

c. How to use the technology-assisted verification system,

d. Primary causes of medication errors, and

e. Identifying and resolving dispensing errors; and

4. Completes at least four hours of the continuing education required under R4-23-1106 on patient safety.

E. The permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program shall ensure the pharmacy practice site has a computer data storage and retrieval system that meets the standards in R4-23-408(B).

F. The permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program shall ensure a verification technician verifies only the following:

1. A product with scanning technology that identifies product, or

2. A robotically prepared unit-dose product.

G. The permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program shall ensure a verification technician does not verify the following:

1. A product that involves a combination of drugs resulting from compounding or mixing two or more ingredients or products,

2. A product that involves or results from an alteration of a drug, or

3. A DEA schedule II controlled substance.

H. The permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program shall perform an unannounced evaluation of the competency of a verification technician at least twice a year and take steps to remediate any deficiencies identified including removing verification duties from the technician.

I. The permittee of a retail, institutional, or limited-service pharmacy implementing a technology-assisted verification of product program shall maintain the following records:

1. Date the pharmacy technician was designated as a verification technician,

2. Date the pharmacy technician completed the training required under subsection (D)(3),

3. Dates and results of the evaluations conducted under subsection (H), and

4. Date and reason for any disciplinary action against the verification technician arising from performing the duties of a verification technician.

J. A verification technician shall wear identification that includes the title "Verification Technician" while on duty.

K. As used in this Section, the term "verification technician" means an individual who:

1. Is qualified under subsection (D),

2. Uses a combination of scanning technology and visual confirmation to verify a product prepared to be dispensed is the product prescribed and indicated on the prescription label, and

3. Performs verification of work performed by other pharmacy technicians before a pharmacist or graduate or pharmacy intern working under the supervision of a pharmacist performs the final accuracy check required under R4-23-402(A).

Ariz. Admin. Code § R4-23-1104.01

Amended by final rulemaking at 23 A.A.R. 3257, effective 1/8/2018.