Innovations-Magazine-September-2022 - 13

INTERVIEW WITH A BOARD MEMBER
David Rochefort, RPh
Vice President, New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy
When were you appointed
to the Board of Pharmacy?
What type of member are you?
I was initially appointed to the Board
in March 2017 to fill an unexpected
vacancy. Governor Christopher T. Sununu
appointed me at that time. I was reappointed
for a full, five-year term in September
2021. I am a pharmacist member.
New Hampshire
Board of Pharmacy
Number of Board
Members
6 pharmacist members
and 1 public member
Number of
Compliance
Officers/Inspectors
3
Rules & Regulations
Established by
Board of Pharmacy
Number of
Pharmacist Licensees
2,827
Number of
Pharmacies
309
Number of Wholesale
Distributors
1,542 (in-state and
out-of-state
manufacturers,
wholesale distributors,
brokers, and
reverse distributors)
What steps should a board member
take to be successful in their role?
I think it is important to be active and
participate. They should be prepared to
contribute, even if they do not think that their
practice setting is relevant to the conversation.
We are all there to work and serve the public,
and everyone plays a valuable role in that.
What are some recent policies
or regulations that your
Board has implemented?
Earlier this year, the New Hampshire Senate
passed legislation that allows certified
pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) to give flu
shots. Previously, the legislature allowed
CPhTs to give coronavirus disease 2019
vaccines, but not flu vaccines. The Board
worked with a senator to draft legislation
that allows that. The pandemic showed us
all that this is something that pharmacy
technicians can do well and safely. On
the rules side, the New Hampshire State
Legislature passed legislation a few years
ago that created the Licensed Advanced
Pharmacy Technician license, which
expanded the scope of practice for pharmacy
technicians and provided pharmacists with
some workload relief. Pharmacists will be
able to offload some of the less clinical tasks
to technicians so that they can focus on the
clinical. Right now, we are in the last stages
of finalizing the rules on that. Legislation
was also passed to allow pharmacists to
prescribe oral contraceptives and to initiate
therapy for smoking cessation. In 2022, we
will be revisiting compounding rules and
regulations and, perhaps, make some changes.
Has the Board encountered any
challenges to developing the new
legislation or regulations?
A few of these things did not get through
the legislature the first time, so the Board
had to compromise. For instance, the Board
wanted blank prescriptive authority on some
of these things, but it had to scale that back.
Rather than having a blank prescribing right,
a standing order format is required in some
instances. My hope is that if pharmacists prove
that they can safely and reliably provide things
like flu vaccinations and oral contraceptives,
then the legislature will continue to expand
our practice, making pharmacist-based
care more accessible in the future.
What advice would you give
to a new board member?
I always tell a new board member to be
intolerant of the phrase " because that's the
way we've always done it. " Challenge that
way of thinking and demand explanation
and clarification. I would also tell a new
board member to ask questions. Things
are going to go by very quickly during
your first board meetings, committee
meetings, and task force meetings. You
are there to serve the public, and if you do
not understand what is going on, you are
unable to serve to the best of your ability.
Have you participated in any
NABP task forces or meetings?
I served on the Work Group to Consider
Extending Waivers and the Committee on Law
Enforcement/Legislation. I recently attended
the NABP Interactive Member Forum
and the Annual Meetings in Denver, CO;
Minneapolis, MN; and Scottsdale, AZ. As far
as district meetings, I have been to Annapolis,
MD; Burlington, VT; and Washington, DC.
For the last 20 years, I have been involved
in sterile and nonsterile compounding. We
are a small group. We understand our role
and background, but I like getting out there
and talking to other people with other work
histories and professional experience. We can
all learn something from other people.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 11
Innovations-Magazine-September-2022

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