Arizona Scorecard

Grading Scale:
A – 85-100%, B – 70-84.9%, C – 55-69.9%, D – 40-54.9%, F – 0-39.9%

Grading Categories & Criteria

Arizona Law

I. Laws
32-1923.01 Pharmacy technicians; pharmacy technician trainees; qualifications
32-1924 Licenses; fees; signatures
32-1925 Renewal of license of pharmacists, interns and pharmacy technicians; fees; expiration dates; penalty for failure to renew; continuing education
32-1926 Notice of change of employer or home address; termination of responsibility
32-1927 Pharmacists; pharmacy interns; graduate interns; disciplinary action
32-1927.01 Pharmacy technicians; pharmacy technician trainees; disciplinary action
32-1927.02 Permittees; disciplinary action
32-1934 Pharmacy operated by hospital
32-1961 Limitation on dispensing, compounding and sale of drugs

32-1923.01. Pharmacy technicians; pharmacy technician trainees; qualifications

A. An applicant for licensure as a pharmacy technician must:
1. Be of good moral character.
2. Be at least eighteen years of age.
3. Have a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma.
4. Complete a training program prescribed by board rules.
5. Pass a board approved pharmacy technician examination.
B. An applicant for licensure as a pharmacy technician trainee must:
1. Be of good moral character.
2. Be at least eighteen years of age.
3. Have a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma.

32-1925. Renewal of license of pharmacists, interns and pharmacy technicians; fees; expiration dates; penalty for failure to renew; continuing education

A. Except for interns and pharmacy technician trainees, the board shall assign all persons licensed under this chapter to one of two license renewal groups. Except as provided in section 32-4301, a holder of a license certificate ending in an even number shall renew it biennially on or before November 1 of the even numbered year, two years from the last renewal date. Except as provided in section 32-4301, a holder of a license certificate ending in an odd number shall renew it biennially on or before November 1 of the odd numbered year, two years from the last renewal date. Failure to renew and pay all required fees on or before November 1 of the year in which the renewal is due suspends the license. The board shall vacate a suspension when the licensee pays all past due fees and penalties. Penalties shall not exceed three hundred fifty dollars. The board may waive collection of a fee or penalty due after suspension under conditions established by a majority of the board.

B. The board shall prorate the fee for a new license for the remaining full calendar months of the respective group to which the licensee is assigned.

C. A person shall not apply for license renewal more than sixty days before the expiration date of the license.

D. A person who is licensed as a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician and who has not renewed the license for five consecutive years shall furnish to the board satisfactory proof of fitness to be licensed as a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician, in addition to the payment of all past due fees and penalties before being reinstated.

E. Biennial renewal fees for licensure shall be not more than:
1. For a pharmacist, two hundred fifty dollars.
2. For a pharmacy technician, one hundred dollars.
3. For a duplicate renewal license, twenty-five dollars.
F. Fees that are designated to be not more than a maximum amount shall be set by the board for the following two fiscal years beginning November 1. The board shall establish fees approximately proportionate to the maximum fee allowed to cover the board’s anticipated expenditures for the following two fiscal years. Variation in a fee is not effective except at the expiration date of a license.

G. The board shall not renew a license for a pharmacist unless the pharmacist has complied with the mandatory continuing professional pharmacy education requirements of sections 32-1936 and 32-1937.

H. The board shall prescribe intern licensure renewal fees that do not exceed seventy-five dollars. The license of an intern who does not receive specific board approval to renew the intern license or who receives board approval to renew but who does not renew and pay all required fees before the license expiration date is suspended after the license expiration date. The board shall vacate a suspension if the licensee pays all past due fees and penalties. Penalties shall not exceed three hundred fifty dollars. The board may waive collection of a fee or penalty due after suspension under conditions established by the board.

I. The board shall not renew a license for a pharmacy technician unless that person has a current board approved license and has complied with board approved mandatory continuing professional education requirements.

II. Regulations

R4-23-653. Personnel: Professional or Technician
R4-23-1101. Licensure and Eligibility
R4-23-1102. Pharmacy Technician Licensure</span
R4-23-1103. Pharmacy Technician Trainee Licensure
R4-23-1104. Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacy Technician Trainees
R4-23-1105. Pharmacy Technician Training Program
R4-23-1106. Continuing Education Requirements

R4-23-653. Personnel: Professional or Technician
• Each hospital pharmacy shall be directed by a pharmacist who is licensed to engage in the practice of pharmacy in Arizona and is referred to as the Director of Pharmacy. The Director of Pharmacy shall be the pharmacist-in-charge, as defined in A.R.S. § 32-1901 or shall appoint a pharmacist-in-charge. The Director of Pharmacy and the pharmacist-in-charge, if a different individual, shall:

• Be responsible for all the activities of the hospital pharmacy and for meeting the requirements of the Arizona Pharmacy Act and these rules;
2. Ensure that the policies and procedures required by these rules are prepared, implemented, and complied with;
3. Review biennially and, if necessary, revise the policies and procedures required under these rules;
4. Document the review required under subsection (A)(3);
5. Assemble the policies and procedures as a written manual or by another method approved by the Board or its designee; and
6. Make the policies and procedures available within the pharmacy for employee reference and inspection by the Board or its designee.

B. In all hospitals, a pharmacist shall be in the hospital during the time the pharmacy is open for pharmacy services, except for an extreme emergency as defined in R4-23-110. Pharmacy services shall be provided for a minimum of 40 hours per week, unless an exception for less than the minimum hours is made upon written request by the hospital and with express permission of the Board or its designee.

C. In a hospital where the pharmacy is not open 24 hours per day for pharmacy services, a pharmacist shall be “on-call” as defined in R4-23-651 when the pharmacy is closed.

D. The Director of Pharmacy may be assisted by other personnel approved by the Director of Pharmacy in order to operate the pharmacy competently, safely, and adequately to meet the needs of the hospital’s patients.

E. Pharmacists. A pharmacist or a pharmacy intern or graduate intern under the supervision of a pharmacist shall perform the following professional practices:

1. Verify a patient’s medication order before administration of a drug to the patient, except:
a. In an emergency medical situation; or
b. In a hospital where the pharmacy is open less than 24 hours a day for pharmacy services, a pharmacist shall verify a patient’s medication order within four hours of the time the pharmacy opens for pharmacy services;

2. Verify a medication order’s pharmaceutical and therapeutic feasibility based upon:
a. The patient’s medical condition,
b. The patient’s allergies,
c. The pharmaceutical and therapeutic incompatibilities, and
d. The recommended dosage limits;

3. Measure, count, pour, or otherwise prepare and package a drug needed for dispensing, except a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee may measure, count, pour, or otherwise prepare and package a drug needed for dispensing under the supervision of a pharmacist according to written policies and procedures approved by the Board or its designee;

4. Compound, admix, combine, or otherwise prepare and package a drug needed for dispensing, except a pharmacy technician may compound, admix, combine, or otherwise prepare and package a drug needed for dispensing under the supervision of a pharmacist according to written policies and procedures approved by the Board or its designee;

5. Verify the accuracy, correct procedure, compounding, admixing, combining, measuring, counting, pouring, preparing, packaging, and safety of a drug prepared and packaged by a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee according to subsections (E)(3) and (4) and according to the policies and procedures in subsection (G);

6. Supervise drug repackaging and check the completed repackaged product as specified in R4-23-402(A);

7. Supervise training and education in aseptic technique and drug incompatibilities for all personnel involved in the admixture of parenteral products within the hospital pharmacy;

8. Consult with the medical practitioner regarding the patient’s drug therapy or medical condition;

9. When requested by a medical practitioner, patient, patient’s agent, or when the pharmacist deems it necessary, provide consultation with a patient regarding the medication order, patient’s profile, or overall drug therapy;

10. Monitor a patient’s drug therapy for safety and effectiveness;

11. Provide drug information to patients and health care professionals;

12. Manage the activities of pharmacy technicians, pharmacy technician trainees, other personnel, and systems to ensure that all activities are performed accurately, safely, and without risk of harm to patients;

13. Verify the accuracy of all aspects of the original, completed medication order; and

14. Ensure compliance by pharmacy personnel with a quality assurance program developed by the hospital.

F. Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician trainees. Before working as a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee, an individual shall meet the eligibility and licensure requirements prescribed in 4 A.A.C. 23, Article 11.

G. Pharmacy technician policies and procedures. Before employing a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee, a Director of Pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge shall develop the policies and procedures required under R4-23-1104.

H. Pharmacy technician training program.
1. A Director of Pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge shall comply with the training program requirements of R4-23-1105 based on the needs of the hospital pharmacy;
2. A pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee shall:
a. Perform only those tasks for which training and competency have been demonstrated; and
b. Not perform professional practices reserved for a pharmacist, graduate intern, or pharmacy intern in subsection (E), except as specified in subsections (E)(3) and (4).
I. Supervision. A hospital pharmacy’s Director of Pharmacy and the pharmacist-in-charge, if a different individual, shall supervise all of the activities and operations of a hospital pharmacy. A pharmacist shall supervise all functions and activities of pharmacy technicians, pharmacy technician trainees, and other hospital pharmacy personnel to ensure that all functions and activities are performed competently, safely, and without risk of harm to patients.

Historical Note
Former Rules 6.7310 and 6.7320; Amended effective August 10, 1978 (Supp. 78-4). Section repealed, new Section adopted effective February 7, 1990 (Supp. 90-1). Amended effective November 1, 1993 (Supp. 93-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 8 A.A.R. 4902, effective January 5, 2003 (Supp. 02-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 1192, effective May 1, 2004 (Supp. 04-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 3032, effective October 1, 2006 (Supp. 06-3).

R4-23-1101. Licensure and Eligibility
A. License required. A person shall not work as a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee in Arizona, unless the person:

1. Possesses a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee license issued by the Board;
2. Reads and discusses with the pharmacist-in-charge of the pharmacy where employed, the Board rules concerning pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician trainees, the pharmacy technician and pharmacy technician trainee job description, and the policies and procedures manual of that pharmacy; and
3. Dates and signs a statement that the person has complied with subsection (A)(2).

B. Eligibility.

1. To be eligible for licensure as a pharmacy technician trainee, a person shall:
a. Be of good moral character,
b. Be at least 18 years of age, and
c. Have a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma.

2. To be eligible for licensure as a pharmacy technician, a person shall:
a. Meet the requirements of subsection (B)(1),
b. Complete a pharmacy technician training program that meets the standards prescribed in R4-23-1105, and
c. Pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) examination or another Board-approved pharmacy technician examination.

C. A pharmacy technician delinquent license. Before an Arizona pharmacy technician license will be reinstated, a pharmacy technician whose Arizona pharmacy technician license is delinquent for five or more consecutive years shall furnish to the Board satisfactory proof of fitness to be licensed as a pharmacy technician and pay all past due biennial renewal fees and penalty fees. Satisfactory proof includes:
1. For a person with a delinquent license who is practicing as a pharmacy technician out-of-state with a pharmacy technician license issued by another jurisdiction:
a. Proof of current, unrestricted pharmacy technician licensure in another jurisdiction; and
b. Proof of employment as a pharmacy technician during the last 12 months; or
2. For a person with a delinquent license who did not practice as a pharmacy technician within the last 12 months:
a. Take and pass a Board-approved pharmacy technician examination, and
b. Complete 120 hours of pharmacy technician training as a pharmacy technician trainee licensed under R4-23-1103, or
c. Complete 480 hours of pharmacy technician training as a pharmacy technician trainee licensed under R4-23-1103.

Historical Note
New Section made by final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 1192, effective May 1, 2004 (Supp. 04-1).

R4-23-1102. Pharmacy Technician Licensure
A. Application. An applicant for licensure as a pharmacy technician shall:
1. Provide the Board proof that the applicant is eligible under R4-23-1101(B)(2), including documentation that the applicant:
a. Completed a pharmacy technician training program that meets the standards prescribed in R4-23-1105; and
b. Passed the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) examination or another Board-approved pharmacy technician examination;
2. File an application on a form furnished by the Board, that includes:
a. Applicant’s name, address, mailing address, if different, telephone number, and social security number;

b. Whether the applicant has ever been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, a felony offense, or any drug-related offense or has any currently pending felony or drug-related charge, and if so, indicate charge, charge date, conviction date, and jurisdiction;

c. Whether the applicant has ever had a pharmacy technician license revoked, suspended, or has a pending revocation or suspension action, or denied in this state or any other jurisdiction, and if so, indicate where and when;

d. Pharmacy name and address where the pharmacy technician will practice;

e. Date signed and applicant’s verified signature; and

f. The wall license and initial licensure fees specified in R4-23-205.

B. Licensure. Within seven business days of receipt of a completed application, fees, and other information specified in subsection (A), the Board office shall determine whether the application is complete. If the application is complete, the Board shall assess whether the applicant is qualified under statute and rule. If the applicant is qualified, the Board office shall issue a license number and mail a license to the applicant. An applicant who is issued a license number may begin practice as a pharmacy technician. The Board office shall mail a wall license to the licensee within 14 days of issuing the license number.

C. License renewal. To renew a license, a pharmacy technician shall submit a license renewal form supplied by the Board with the biennial renewal fee specified in R4-23-205. The Board office will process the application for renewal in the same manner described in subsection (B).

D. If the biennial renewal fee is not paid by November 1 of the renewal year specified in A.R.S. § 32-1925, the pharmacy technician license is suspended and the licensee shall pay a penalty as provided in A.R.S. § 32-1925 and R4-23-205 to vacate the suspension.
Historical Note
New Section made by final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 1192, effective May 1, 2004 (Supp. 04-1).
R4-23-1103. Pharmacy Technician Trainee Licensure
A. Application. An applicant for licensure as a pharmacy technician trainee shall:
1. Provide the Board proof that the applicant is eligible under R4-23-1101(B)(1); and
2. File an application on a form furnished by the Board, that includes:

a. Applicant’s name, address, mailing address, if different, telephone number, and social security number;

b. Whether the applicant has ever been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, a felony offense, or any drug-related offense or has any currently pending felony or drug-related charge, and if so, indicate charge, charge date, conviction date, and jurisdiction;

c. Whether the applicant has ever had a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee license revoked, suspended, or has a pending revocation or suspension action, or denied in this state or any other jurisdiction, and if so, indicate where and when;

d. Pharmacy name and address where the pharmacy technician trainee will complete the pharmacy technician training program;

e. Date signed and applicant’s verified signature; and

f. The wall license and initial licensure fees specified in R4-23-205.
B. Licensure.
1. Within seven business days of receipt of a completed application, fees, and other information specified in subsection (A), the Board office shall determine whether the application is complete. If the application is complete, the Board shall assess whether the applicant is qualified under statute and rule. If the applicant is qualified, the Board office shall issue a license number and mail a license to the applicant. An applicant who is issued a license number may begin practice as a pharmacy technician trainee. The Board office shall mail a wall license to the licensee within 14 days of issuing the license number. A pharmacy technician trainee license is valid for 24 months from the date issued.

2. A pharmacy technician trainee who does not complete the prescribed training program and pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) examination or another Board-approved pharmacy technician examination before the pharmacy technician trainee’s license expires is not eligible for licensure as a pharmacy technician and
shall not practice as a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee.

C. The Board may allow a pharmacy technician trainee whose license expires before the pharmacy technician trainee completes the prescribed training program and passes the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) examination or another Board-approved pharmacy technician examination to reapply for licensure not more than one time. A pharmacy technician trainee whose license has expired may make a special request to the Board under R4-23-401 for approval to reapply for licensure.

D. The Board shall base its decision to grant or deny a special request to reapply for licensure on an assessment of:

1. The reasons the pharmacy technician trainee did not complete a pharmacy technician training program and the likelihood that the pharmacy technician trainee will complete a pharmacy technician training program within the next 24 months,

2. The reasons the pharmacy technician trainee failed the pharmacy technician examination and the likelihood that the pharmacy technician trainee will pass the pharmacy technician examination within the next 24 months, and

3. Other extenuating circumstances.

Historical Note
New Section made by final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 1192, effective May 1, 2004 (Supp. 04-1).

R4-23-1105. Pharmacy Technician Training Program
A. Nothing in this Section prevents additional offsite training of a pharmacy technician.
B. Pharmacy technician training program.
1. A pharmacy permittee or pharmacist-in-charge shall develop, implement, review, and revise in the same manner described in R4-23-653(A) and comply with a pharmacy technician training program based on the needs of the individual pharmacy;

2. A pharmacy permittee or pharmacist-in-charge shall ensure that the pharmacy technician training program includes training guidelines that:
a. Define the specific tasks a pharmacy technician trainee is expected to perform,
b. Specify how and when the pharmacist-in-charge will access the pharmacy technician trainee’s competency, and
c. Address the policies and procedures specified in R4-23-1104(F) and the permissible activities specified in R4-23-1104(A) and (B);

3. A pharmacist-in-charge shall:
a. Document a pharmacy technician trainee’s progress throughout the training program,

b. Date and sign a statement attesting that a pharmacy technician trainee has successfully completed the training program,

c. Maintain the documentation required in this subsection and R4-23-1101(A)(3) for inspection by the Board or its designee, and

d. Provide to the pharmacy technician trainee a copy of the statement required in subsection (B)(3)(b).
C. Drug compounding training program.
1. A pharmacy permittee or pharmacist-in-charge shall develop, implement, review, and revise in the same manner described in R4-23-653(A) and comply with a drug compounding training program based on the needs of the individual pharmacy;
2. A pharmacy permittee or pharmacist-in-charge shall ensure that the drug compounding training program includes training guidelines that:
a. Define the specific tasks a pharmacy technician is expected to perform,
b. Specify how and when the pharmacist-in-charge will access the pharmacy technician’s competency, and
c. Address the following procedures and tasks:
i. Area preparation,
ii. Component preparation,
iii. Aseptic technique and product preparation,
iv. Packaging and labeling, and
v. Area clean up;
3. A pharmacist-in-charge shall:
a. Document a pharmacy technician’s progress throughout the training program,
b. Date and sign a statement attesting that a pharmacy technician has successfully completed the training program, and
c. Maintain the documentation required in this subsection for inspection by the Board or its designee.
D. A pharmacy technician shall perform only those tasks, listed in R4-23-1104(B), for which training and competency has been demonstrated.

Historical Note
New Section made by final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 1192, effective May 1, 2004 (Supp. 04-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 3032, effective October 1, 2006 (Supp. 06-3).

R4-23-1106. Continuing Education Requirements
A. General. According to A.R.S. § 32-1925(I), the Board shall not renew a pharmacy technician license unless the applicant has during the two years preceding the application for renewal:
1. Participated in 20 contact hours or two CEUs of continuing education activity sponsored by an Approved Provider defined in R4-23-110, and

2. At least two of the contact hours or 0.2 of the CEUs are approved courses in pharmacy law. For a pharmacy technician licensed less than 24 months the continuing education contact hours are calculated by multiplying 0.83 hours times the number of months between the date of initial licensure and the licensee’s next license renewal date.

B. Valid CEUs. The Board shall:
1. Only accept CEUs for continuing education activities sponsored by an Approved Provider;

2. Only accept CEUs accrued during the two-year period immediately before licensure renewal;

3. Not allow CEUs accrued in a biennial renewal period in excess of the required two CEUs to be carried forward to the succeeding biennial renewal period;

4. Allow a pharmacy technician who leads, instructs, or lectures to a group of health professionals on pharmacy-related topics in continuing education activities sponsored by an Approved Provider to receive CEUs for a presentation by following the same attendance procedures as any other attendee of the continuing education activity; and

5. Not accept as a CEU a pharmacy technician’s normal teaching duties within a learning institution if the pharmacy technician’s primary responsibility is the education of health professionals.

C. Continuing education records and reporting CEUs. A pharmacy technician shall:
1. Maintain continuing education records that:
a. Verify the continuing education activities the pharmacy technician participated in during the preceding five years; and
b. Consist of a statement of credit or a certificate issued by an Approved Provider at the conclusion of a continuing education activity;

2. At the time of licensure renewal, attest to the number of CEUs the pharmacy technician participated in during the renewal period on the biennial renewal form; and
3. When requested by the Board office, submit proof of continuing education participation within 20 days of the request.

D. The Board shall deem a pharmacy technician’s failure to comply with the continuing education participation, recording, or reporting requirements of this Section as unprofessional conduct and grounds for disciplinary action by the Board under A.R.S. § 32-1927.01.

E. A pharmacy technician who is aggrieved by any decision of the Board concerning continuing education units may request a hearing before the Board.

III. References

Arizona Revised Statutes Chapter 18 Title 32
http://www.azpharmacy.gov/pdfs/Chapter%2018.pdf
Arizona Administrative Code Chapter 23
http://azsos.gov/public_services/Title_04/4-23.htm

The data contained in this 2012 Annual Scorecard are accurate as of December 2012 .  Because statutes and regulations are continually revised, the data are subject to change.  These data have been verified with the state board of pharmacy.  This scorecard is updated on an annual basis in order to incorporate statutory and regulatory changes.  A new scorecard will be issued in July 2013.

Scoring rationale for Education and Training:
In order to protect the public and help ensure patient safety, it is important that pharmacy technicians are properly educated and trained.  The most rigorous training is accredited training.  The sole entity empowered to accredit pharmacy-technician training programs is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).  Please note that this is “programmatic accreditation” – not “institutional accreditation.”  It is the content of the training program – as measured against established standards – that is being evaluated and accredited.  Accredited training is vital to protecting patient safety because it means that a pharmacy-technician training program has met established quality standards to provide assurance and confidence to the public.  For more information, please see http://www.ashp.org/menu/Accreditation/TechnicianAccreditation.aspx.

Scoring rationale for Certification:
Certification is the process by which a nongovernmental agency or association grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that agency or association.  This is often determined by an examination process.  Numerous organizations have recommended that the certification exam conducted by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) should be recognized as the sole, nationally-accredited certification exam for pharmacy technician certification – including the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In a recent report, NABP recommended that states be encouraged to “recognize certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).” Moreover, NABP performed a psychometric audit of the PTCB’s pharmacy technician certification examination (PTCE) in 2001 and determined that the PTCE is psychometrically sound, defensible, and valid. In May 2010, the TSBP awarded the PTCB with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Provider contract in Texas. PTCB was selected for the contract after a rigorous bidding and evaluation process that included formal reviews and evaluations from three independent psychometricians. TSBP confidently recognizes PTCB as the single provider of certification examinations for pharmacy technicians. In addition, in June 2010, the VA began requiring PTCB certification for VA pharmacy technicians employed at grade GS-6 and above.

Scoring rationale for Registration/Licensure:
Registration/licensure is the process by which the state maintains a list of all pharmacy technicians in the state and grants permission for an individual to work as a pharmacy technician in the state based on the applicant’s completion of all pre-requisites to registration/licensure – such as required training and certification.

Scoring rationale for Continuing Education:
Continuing education enables pharmacy technicians to fulfill their professional responsibility to maintain competence and up-to-date knowledge and skills in an environment of technological advances and increasingly complex, new medications and therapies.