ARC 1406C
PHARMACY BOARD[657]
Adopted and Filed
Pursuant to the authority of Iowa Code sections 147.76 and 155A.6, the Board of Pharmacy hereby amends Chapter 4, “Pharmacist-Interns,” Iowa Administrative Code.
The amendments revise the requirements for pharmacist-intern registration, the number of hours required, and reporting of completed internship training. The Board has determined that the college-based training included in the college curriculum provides adequate prelicensure training and that requiring a pharmacist-intern to obtain additional training and credit outside the school year is not necessary. A student, prior to commencing internship training and experience, is required to register as a pharmacist-intern, and the Board and the Iowa colleges of pharmacy have agreed that, to ensure timely registration, a student must register at the beginning of the first professional year in the college of pharmacy. The amendments eliminate the requirements for completion and submission of the “internship booklet” certifying the competencies of the pharmacist-intern under the supervision of each pharmacist and, except for specific circumstances, eliminate the requirements relating to affidavits of internship training. The amendments also reorganize and clarify the internship requirements for foreign pharmacy graduate licensure candidates.
Requests for waiver or variance of the discretionary provisions of these rules will be considered pursuant to 657—Chapter 34.
Notice of Intended Action was published in the December 11, 2013, Iowa Administrative Bulletin as ARC 1237C. The Board received written comments regarding the proposed amendments from the state’s colleges of pharmacy and the Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA). The adopted amendments differ from those published under Notice. In Item 2, the term “Christmas break” has been changed to read “winter break.”
IPA cautioned the Board to be mindful of the accreditation status of colleges of pharmacy not located in Iowa. The Board appreciates this cautionary note and responds that the Board annually reviews the status and accreditation of all colleges of pharmacy, accepting degrees only from those colleges that maintain accreditation standards and guidelines set by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Comments from the colleges questioned the circumstances and time frame prompting the termination of a pharmacist-intern registration if the student temporarily suspends active enrollment and pursuit of the pharmacy degree and what processes would be required if and when the student reenters the degree program; the expected turnaround time for notification from the colleges of certification of eligibility for internship and the pharmacist-intern registration processes; concerns regarding the use of the terms “preceptor” and “commencement” as these terms may have differing meanings in academia; and a suggestion that references to “pharmacy student” be changed to read “student pharmacist.” Comments also suggested using the terminology used in the ACPE standards to describe the “college-based clinical program” required rotations and experiences. Other comments and questions related to procedural issues, including how completion of credit will be certified by the colleges and how certification of eligibility or cancellation of eligibility will be communicated by the colleges to the Board.
The amendments were approved during the March 12, 2014, meeting of the Board of Pharmacy.
After analysis and review of this rule making, no impact on jobs has been found.
These amendments are intended to implement Iowa Code section 155A.6.
These amendments will become effective on May 7, 2014.
The following amendments are adopted.
	Item 1. Amend rule 657—4.1(155A) as follows:
657—4.1(155A) Definitions.
“Board” means the Iowa board of pharmacy examiners.
“Internship booklet” means a set of documents and forms to be completed by one or more pharmacist preceptors during the course of an individual pharmacist-intern’s internship training. The booklet includes the intern’s registration certificate, instructions for the intern and the preceptor, the competencies to be attained by the intern and certified by each preceptor, and one or more affidavits on which each preceptor shall certify the hours of nonconcurrent internship completed under that preceptor’s supervision.
“Nontraditional internship booklet” means that internship booklet comprised of competencies and affidavits relating exclusively to that nontraditional internship segment and approved by the board for the individual pharmacist-intern pursuant to subrule 4.6(6).
“Pharmacist-intern” or “intern” means a person enrolled in a college of pharmacy or actively pursuing a pharmacy degree, or as otherwise provided by the board, who is registered with the board for the purpose of obtaining instruction in the practice of pharmacy from a preceptor pursuant to Iowa Code section 155A.6. “Pharmacist-intern” includes a graduate of an approved college of pharmacy, or a foreign graduate who has established educational equivalency pursuant to the requirements of rule 657—4.7(155A), who is registered with the board for the purpose of obtaining practical experience as a requirement for licensure as a pharmacist in Iowa. “Pharmacist-intern” may include an individual participating in a residency or fellowship program in Iowa, whether or not the individual is licensed as a pharmacist in another state.
“Pharmacist preceptor” or “preceptor” means a pharmacist licensed to practice pharmacy whose license is current and in good standing. Preceptors shall meet the conditions and requirements of rule 657—4.9(155A). No pharmacist shall serve as a preceptor while the pharmacist’s license to practice pharmacy is the subject of disciplinary sanction by a pharmacist licensing authority.
	Item 2. Amend rule 657—4.3(155A) as follows:
657—4.3(155A) 1500-hour requirements. Internship credit may be obtained only after internship registration with the board and successful completion of one semester commencement of the first professional year in a college of pharmacy. Internship shall consist of a minimum of 1500 hours, 1250 hours all of which may be a college-based clinical program approved or accepted by the board. Programs shall be structured to provide experience in community, institutional, and clinical pharmacy practices. The remaining 250 A pharmacist-intern may acquire additional hours shall be acquired under the supervision of one or more preceptors in a traditional licensed general or hospital pharmacy, at a rate of no more than 48 hours per week, where the goal and objectives of internship in rule 657—4.2(155A) apply. Credit toward the 250 any additional hours will be allowed, at a rate not to exceed 10 hours per week, for an internship served concurrent with academic training and outside a college-based clinical program. “Concurrent time” means internship experience acquired while the person is a full-time student carrying, in a given school term, at least 75 percent of the average number of credit hours per term needed to graduate and receive an entry-level degree in pharmacy. Recognized academic holiday periods, such as spring break and Christmas winter break, shall not be considered “concurrent time.” The competencies in subrule 4.2(2) and the concurrent time limitations of this rule shall not apply to college-based clinical programs.
	Item 3. Amend rule 657—4.6(155A) as follows:
657—4.6(155A) Registration, reporting, and authorized functions. Every person shall register with the board before beginning the person’s internship experience, whether or not for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of rule 657—4.3(155A). Registration is required of all students enrolled in Iowa colleges of pharmacy after they have successfully completed one semester upon commencement of the first professional year in the college of pharmacy. Colleges of pharmacy located in Iowa shall, at least annually, certify to the board the names of students who have successfully completed one semester are enrolled in the first professional year in the college of pharmacy. or Colleges of pharmacy located in Iowa shall, within two weeks of any change, certify to the board the names of students who have withdrawn from the college of pharmacy.
	4.6(1)  No change.
	4.6(2) Supervision and authorized functions. A licensed pharmacist shall be on duty in the pharmacy and shall be responsible for the actions of a pharmacist-intern during all periods of internship training. The At the discretion of the supervising pharmacist, the following judgmental functions, usually restricted to a pharmacist, may be delegated to pharmacist-interns registered by the board:
	a.  to c.  No change.
	4.6(3) Term of registration. Registration shall remain in effect as long as the board is satisfied that the intern is pursuing a degree in pharmacy in good faith and with reasonable diligence. A pharmacist-intern may request that the intern’s registration be extended beyond the automatic termination of the registration pursuant to the procedures and requirements of 657—Chapter 34. Except as provided by the definition of pharmacist-intern in rule 657—4.1(155A), registration shall automatically terminate upon the earliest of any of the following:
	a. 	No change.
	b. 	Lapse, exceeding one year, in the pursuit of a degree in pharmacy; or
	c. 	No change.
	4.6(4) Identification, reports, and notifications. Credit for internship time will not be granted unless registration and other required records and or affidavits are completed.
	a.  and b.  No change.
	c. 	Notarized affidavits of experience in non-college-sponsored programs shall be filed with the board office after the successful completion of the appropriate internship booklet and completion of all required internships internship. These affidavits shall include certification of competencies and shall certify only the number of hours and dates of training obtained outside a college-based clinical program as provided in rule 657—4.3(155A). An individual registered as a pharmacist-intern while participating in an Iowa residency or fellowship program shall not be required to file affidavits of experience or to submit certification of competencies.
	4.6(5) No credit prior to registration. Credit will not be given for internship experience obtained prior to the individual’s registration as a pharmacist-intern. Credit for Iowa college-based clinical programs (1250 hours) will not be granted unless registration is issued before the student begins the program.
	4.6(6)  No change.
	Item 4. Amend rule 657—4.7(155A) as follows:
657—4.7(155A) Foreign pharmacy graduates. Foreign pharmacy graduates who are candidates for licensure in Iowa will be required to obtain a minimum of 1500 hours of internship in a licensed pharmacy or other board-approved location.
	4.7(1) Registration. These candidates Candidates shall register with the board as provided in rule 657—4.6(155A). Internship credit will not be granted until the candidate has been issued an intern registration. Applications for registration shall be accompanied by certification from the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) as provided in 657—subrule 2.10(1).
	4.7(2) Certification of hours. Following completion of any period of internship, internship hours shall be certified to the board by submission of notarized affidavits of experience as provided in paragraph 4.6(4)“c.”
	4.7(3) Credit for foreign pharmacy practice. The board may grant credit to a foreign pharmacy graduate, based on the candidate’s experience in the practice of pharmacy, for all or any portion of the required 1500 hours of internship training. The candidate shall provide detailed information regarding the candidate’s experience in the practice of pharmacy. The board shall determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether and to what extent the candidate’s experience meets the goals and objectives established in rule 657—4.2(155A).
	Item 5. Amend subrule 4.9(2) as follows:
	4.9(2) Competencies and affidavits Affidavits. A preceptor shall be responsible for initialing and dating those competencies the intern attained under the supervision of the preceptor and for completing the affidavit certifying the number of hours and the dates of each internship training period under the supervision of the preceptor for any period of internship completed outside a college-based clinical program.
[Filed 3/13/14, effective 5/7/14]
[Published 4/2/14]
Editor’s Note: For replacement pages for IAC, see IAC Supplement 4/2/14.