Innovations-Magazine-October-2022 - 19

PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS UPDATE
toward continuing pharmacy education
hours. Register for the sterility testing
course at www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drugcompounding/compounding-quality-centerexcellence-training-programs#selfguided.
HHS
Guidance Reminds
Pharmacists to Follow Federal Civil
Rights Laws When Filling Abortion
and Birth Control Medications
After the United States Supreme
COVID-19 Pandemic Stress
Linked to Technicians
Quitting Their Careers
Because of the stress endured during the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic, 25% of certified pharmacy
technicians reported leaving their careers,
according to an online national survey of
20,000 respondents from the Pharmacy
Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
Health care professionals and pharmacy
technicians have played an integral
role during the pandemic by helping
patients and administering COVID-19
vaccinations and tests. In fact, 60% of
pharmacy technicians stated that their
responsibilities increased. Work-related
stress, however, as well as lack of pay,
career advancement, and other incentives,
contributed to technicians leaving the
profession. Read the PTCB study at www
.ptcb.org/news/ptcb-releases-2022-pharmacytechnician-workforce-survey-results.
FDA
Adds New Sterility
Testing Course
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Compounding Quality Center of
Excellence released a new self-guided
online course: " Sterility Testing:
Common Misconceptions. " This
free course is designed to instruct
and update pharmacists, pharmacy
technicians, physicians, and nurses on
the misconceptions associated with
sterility testing, as well as the impact of
loss of sterility on patient testing and
product quality, and the criteria that
signals a failed sterility test. The course
counts .75 continuing education credits
Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade,
pharmacists have had concerns and
questions about filling abortion medication
and reproductive care prescriptions. The
US Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) recently issued guidance
informing pharmacists that federal civil
rights laws prohibit pharmacists from
refusing to fill prescriptions for patients,
as well as other situations that would
discriminate against customers. Failure
to follow the law could lead to financial
penalties and loss of federal funding.
" Discrimination against pregnant
people on the basis of their pregnancy
or related conditions . . . is a form of sex
discrimination, " said the HHS guidance.
This document does not ensure universal
access to abortion medication or represent
new policy. The full guidance document
can be found on HHS' website at www.hhs
.gov/sites/default/files/pharmacies-guidance.pdf.
Preventing Diversion During
Drug Disposal
The American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists' ASHP Guidelines on Preventing
Diversion of Controlled Substances outlined
risks present during each phase of the
management process for drug diversion
- drug procurement, preparation and
dispensing, prescribing, medication
administration, and waste and removal -
and how to prevent them. For example,
administrative checks and balances are key
to a good prevention program. In addition,
drug diversion teams should be created to
engage with system-wide processes that
address human resources management,
automation, technology, reporting and
investigation, monitoring, and camera
surveillance. These team efforts will
support best practices, medication safety,
and staff education in order to prevent
drug diversion. More information about
preventing risk diversion can be found at
www.pharmacytimes.com/view/safemedication-practices-preventdiversion-during-drug-disposal.
Examining
OUD
Treatment Strategies
Nearly 87% of people living with opioid
use disorder (OUD) in the US are not
receiving proper treatment or medications
that are shown to reduce opioid use
overdoses, according to a study in the
International Journal of Drug Policy.
Despite the use of medications for OUD
(increasing by 100% over the last decade),
70% of residential treatment programs
nationwide do not offer medication
for OUD. The study's authors propose
removing special waiver requirements
that prevent physicians from prescribing
medication for substance use disorders
and making it available in mobile health
clinics, community-based organizations,
and within the criminal justice system.
NABP Offers Home Study
Webinar on Illegal Pharmacies
NABP is offering a free home study
webinar, Illegal Online Pharmacies' Impact
on Legitimate Health Care Businesses. This
webinar provides an overview of the illegal
online pharmacy landscape and covers
historic and recent government efforts to
stop them. Additionally, NABP's Digital
Health Regulatory Expert Niamh Lewis,
JD, and NABP's Digital Health Senior
Manager Justin Macy, PharmD, JD,
discuss how the illegal online pharmacy
market impacts legitimate health care
businesses. This home study webinar is
available through October 5, 2023. To
access this home study course, visit
the Educational Programs page in the
Resources section of nabp.pharmacy.
OCTOBER 2022 | 17

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-quality-center-excellence-training-programs#selfguided https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/safe-medication-practices-prevent-diversion-during-drug-disposal https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395922002031?via%3Dihub https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pharmacies-guidance.pdf https://www.ptcb.org/news/ptcb-releases-2022-pharmacy-technician-workforce-survey-results https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/policy-guidelines/docs/guidelines/preventing-diversion-of-controlled-substances.ashx https://nabp.pharmacy/resources/educational-programs/home-study-webinars/ http://www.nabp.pharmacy

Innovations-Magazine-October-2022

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