§ 30-5-12 — Scope practice for registered pharmacy technician

West Virginia § 30-5-12

• Jurisdiction: West Virginia
• Ch. 30: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
• Art. 5: PHARMACISTS, PHARMACY TECHNICIANS, PHARMACY INTERNS AND PHARMACIES

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(a) A registered pharmacy technician shall, under the direct supervision of the licensed pharmacist, perform at a minimum the following:

(1) Assist in the dispensing process;

(2) Receive new written or electronic prescription drug orders;

(3) Compound;

(4) Stock medications;

(5) Complete a list of a patient’s current prescription and nonprescription medications to provide for medication reconciliation;

(6) Supervise registered pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician trainees;

(7) Medical records screening;

(8) Administer immunizations, as provided by legislative rule; and

(9) Perform pharmacy technician product verification, where no clinical judgment is necessary and the pharmacist makes the final verification; if the registered pharmacy technician furnishes to the Board an affidavit signed and dated by the supervising pharmacist-in-charge of the facility which will employee the applicant attesting to the applicant’s competency in the advanced areas of practice that he or she will practice; and has either:

(A) Worked as a full-time registered pharmacy technician holding a pharmacy technician endorsement in West Virginia for at least the previous two years; or

(B) Worked as a full-time registered pharmacy technician holding a pharmacy technician license in good standing in another jurisdiction for at least the previous two years.

(b) A registered pharmacy technician may perform the following under indirect supervision of a licensed pharmacist:

(1) Process medical coverage claims; and

(2) Cashier.

(c) A registered pharmacy technician may not perform the following:

(1) Drug regimen review;

(2) Clinical conflict resolution;

(3) Contact a prescriber concerning prescription drug order clarification or therapy modification;

(4) Patient counseling;

(5) Dispense process validation;

(6) Prescription transfer;

(7) Receive new oral prescription drug orders;

(8) An act within the practice of pharmacist care that involves discretion or independent professional judgment; or

(9) A function which the registrant has not been trained and the function has not been specified in a written protocol with competency established.

(d) Indirect supervision of a registered pharmacy technician is permitted to allow a pharmacist to take one break of no more than 30 minutes during any contiguous eight-hour period. The pharmacist may leave the pharmacy area but may not leave the building during the break. When a pharmacist is on break, a pharmacy technician may continue to prepare prescriptions for the pharmacist(s verification. A prescription may not be delivered until the pharmacist has verified the accuracy of the prescription, and counseling, if required, has been provided to or refused by the patient.

(e) A pharmacy that permits indirect supervision of a pharmacy technician during a pharmacist(s break shall have either an interactive voice response system or a voice mail system installed on the pharmacy phone line in order to receive new prescription orders and refill authorizations during the break.

(f) The pharmacy shall establish protocols that require a registered pharmacy technician to interrupt the pharmacist’s break if an emergency arises.

(g) A registered pharmacy technician who has obtained a nuclear pharmacy technician endorsement, may under the direct supervision of the licensed nuclear pharmacist, perform the following:

(1) Assist in the dispensing process;

(2) Receive new written or electronic prescription drug orders;

(3) Mix compound ingredients for liquid products, suspensions, ointments, mixes, or blend for tablet granulations and capsule powders;

(4) Prepare radiopharmaceuticals;

(5) Record keeping;

(6) File and organize prescriptions;

(7) Create reports;

(8) Inventory tasks;

(9) Handle raw materials and intermediate or finished products;

(10) Perform general maintenance as required on pumps, homogenizers, filter presses, tablet compression machines, and other like machines;

(11) Perform standard operating procedures to meet current good manufacturing practices (GMP);

(12) Maintain records;

(13) Monitor and verify quality in accordance with statistical process or other control procedures; and

(14) Stock medications.

(h) A registered pharmacy technician who has obtained a nuclear pharmacy technician endorsement may not perform the following:

(1) Drug regimen review;

(2) Clinical conflict resolution;

(3) Contact a prescriber concerning prescription drug order clarification or therapy modification;

(4) Receive new oral prescription drug orders.

Legislative History

2023 Reg. Sess., HB2754; 2019 Reg. Sess., HB2849; 2013 Reg. Sess., HB2577; 2011 Reg. Sess., HB2513; 2011 Reg. Sess., SB1001; 2007 Reg. Sess., SB69; 1995 Reg. Sess., HB2451; 1978 Reg. Sess., HB1108; 1951 Reg. Sess., SB55