Ariz. Admin. Code § R4-23-654 - Absence of Pharmacist

A. If a pharmacist will not be on duty in the hospital, the Director of Pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge shall arrange, before the pharmacist's absence, for the medical staff and other authorized personnel of the hospital to have access to drugs in the remote drug storage area defined in R4-23-110 or in the hospital pharmacy if a drug is not available in a remote drug storage area and is required to treat the immediate needs of a patient. A pharmacist shall be on-call during all absences.

B. If a pharmacist will not be on duty in the hospital pharmacy, the Director of Pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge shall arrange, before the pharmacist's absence, for the medical staff and other authorized personnel of the hospital to have telephone access to an on-call pharmacist.

C. The hospital pharmacy permittee shall ensure that the hospital pharmacy is not without a pharmacist on duty in the hospital for more than 72 consecutive hours.

D. Remote drug storage area. The Director of Pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge shall, in consultation with the appropriate committee of the hospital:

1. Develop and maintain an inventory listing of the drugs to be included in a remote drug storage area; and

2. Develop, implement, review, and revise in the same manner described in R4-23-653(A) and comply with policies and procedures that ensure proper storage, access, and accountability for drugs in a remote drug storage area.

E. Access to hospital pharmacy. If a drug is not available from a remote drug storage area and the drug is required to treat the immediate needs of a patient whose health may be compromised, the drug may be obtained from the hospital pharmacy according to the requirements of this subsection.

1. The Director of Pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge shall, in consultation with the appropriate committee of the hospital, develop, implement, review, and revise in the same manner described in R4-23-653(A) and comply with policies and procedures to ensure that access to the hospital pharmacy during the pharmacist's absence conforms to the following requirements:

a. Access is delegated to only one supervisory nurse in each shift;

b. The policy and name of supervisory nurse is communicated in writing to the medical staff of the hospital;

c. Access is delegated only to a nurse who has received training from the Director of Pharmacy, pharmacist-in-charge, or Director's designee in the procedures required for proper access, drug removal, and recordkeeping; and

d. Access is delegated by the supervisory nurse to another nurse only in an emergency.

2. If a nurse to whom authority is delegated to access the hospital pharmacy removes a drug from the hospital pharmacy, the nurse shall:

a. Record the following information on a form or by another method approved by the Board or its designee:

i. Patient's name;

ii. Drug name, strength, and dosage form;

iii. Quantity of drug removed; and

iv. Date and time of removal;

b. Sign or initial, if a corresponding signature is on file in the hospital pharmacy, the form recording the drug removal;

c. Attach the original or a direct copy of the medication order for the drug to the form recording the drug removal; and

d. Place the form recording the drug removal conspicuously in the hospital pharmacy.

3. Within four hours after a pharmacist returns from an absence, the pharmacist shall verify all records of drug removal that occurred during the pharmacist's absence according to R4-23-653(E).

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R4-23-654

Former Rules 6.7410, 6.7420, 6.7430, 6.7440, 6.7450, and 6.7460; Amended subsection (A) effective Aug. 9, 1983 (Supp. 83-4). Section repealed, new Section adopted effective February 7, 1990 (Supp. 90-1). 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).