Iowa Admin. Code r. 657-13.11 - [Rescinded effective 7/16/2025] General requirements for telepharmacy technician
(1)
Registration and certification. A telepharmacy technician
shall maintain current national certification and registration in good standing
with the board as a certified pharmacy technician.
(2)
Practice experience.
Before practicing in a telepharmacy site, a telepharmacy technician shall have
completed a minimum of 2,000 hours of practice experience as a certified
pharmacy technician, at least 1,000 hours of which shall be practicing in an
Iowa-licensed pharmacy and 160 hours of which shall be practicing in a managing
pharmacy, at another pharmacy which uses the same audiovisual technology
system, or at the telepharmacy site under the direct supervision of an on-site
pharmacist. The board may establish a committee to consider, on a case-by-case
basis, requests for exceptions to the practice experience requirements in
exceptional circumstances that may otherwise result in the closure of the
telepharmacy site.
(3)
Training. In addition to training required of all pharmacy
technicians, a telepharmacy technician shall complete the following minimum
training requirements before practicing in a telepharmacy site. Records of
telepharmacy technician training shall be documented and maintained by the
telepharmacy site.
a. Review and
understanding of the policies and procedures of the managing
pharmacy.
b. Review and
understanding of the policies and procedures of the telepharmacy
site.
c. Review and understanding
of these rules for telepharmacy practice.
d. Review and understanding of pharmacy
technician rules, 657-Chapter 3.
e.
Understanding of the operation of the audiovisual technologies to be utilized
at both pharmacies.
f. Training at
the telepharmacy site under the direct supervision of an on-site verifying
pharmacist. Training shall include operation and use of the audiovisual
technology and other means of communication between the telepharmacy site and
the managing pharmacy and all daily operations from unlocking and opening the
telepharmacy site to closing and locking the telepharmacy site at the end of
the business day. If the telepharmacy site is protected by one or more alarm
systems, training shall include how to disarm and engage the alarm system or
systems.
(4)
Continuing education. Beginning with the first full two-year
continuing education period for renewal of the technician's national pharmacy
technician certification after beginning practice as a telepharmacy technician,
and for each subsequent renewal of national certification for as long as the
technician continues to practice as a telepharmacy technician, the technician
shall complete two hours of ACPE-approved continuing education in each of the
following activities. These continuing education requirements shall not be in
addition to the total continuing education credits required to maintain
national certification.
a. Patient
safety/medication errors.
b.
Pharmacy law.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
(1) Registration and certification. A telepharmacy technician shall maintain current national certification and registration in good standing with the board as a certified pharmacy technician.
(2) Practice experience. Before practicing in a telepharmacy site , a telepharmacy technician shall have completed a minimum of 2,000 hours of practice experience as a certified pharmacy technician, at least 1,000 hours of which shall be practicing in an Iowa-licensed pharmacy and 160 hours of which shall be practicing in a managing pharmacy , at another pharmacy which uses the same audiovisual technology system, or at the telepharmacy site under the direct supervision of an on-site pharmacist. The board may establish a committee to consider, on a case-by-case basis, requests for exceptions to the practice experience requirements in exceptional circumstances that may otherwise result in the closure of the telepharmacy site .
(3) Training. In addition to training required of all pharmacy technicians, a telepharmacy technician shall complete the following minimum training requirements before practicing in a telepharmacy site . Records of telepharmacy technician training shall be documented and maintained by the telepharmacy site .
a. Review and understanding of the policies and procedures of the managing pharmacy .
b. Review and understanding of the policies and procedures of the telepharmacy site .
c. Review and understanding of these rules for telepharmacy practice.
d. Review and understanding of pharmacy technician rules, 657-Chapter 3.
e. Understanding of the operation of the audiovisual technologies to be utilized at both pharmacies.
f. Training at the telepharmacy site under the direct supervision of an on-site verifying pharmacist . Training shall include operation and use of the audiovisual technology and other means of communication between the telepharmacy site and the managing pharmacy and all daily operations from unlocking and opening the telepharmacy site to closing and locking the telepharmacy site at the end of the business day. If the telepharmacy site is protected by one or more alarm systems, training shall include how to disarm and engage the alarm system or systems.
(4) Continuing education. Beginning with the first full two-year continuing education period for renewal of the technician's national pharmacy technician certification after beginning practice as a telepharmacy technician, and for each subsequent renewal of national certification for as long as the technician continues to practice as a telepharmacy technician, the technician shall complete two hours of ACPE -approved continuing education in each of the following activities. These continuing education requirements shall not be in addition to the total continuing education credits required to maintain national certification.
a. Patient safety/medication errors.
b. Pharmacy law.