NOVEMBER 2001 STATE BOARD NEWS

(STATE SECTION ONLY)

 

 

SOMETIMES PHARMACISTS DO THE SILLIEST THINGS

 

Occasionally, we hear of pharmacists doing things that are so strange we have trouble understand­ing the reasoning behind the actions.  Usually, these are isolated incidents that are, thankfully, rarely repeated.  There are two actions, however, that evidently occur much more often than we thought.  If you do either or both of these, please change your habits immediately.

 

The first action of concern involves returning the original prescription form to a patient after dis­pensing has occurred.  This usually happens on handwritten prescriptions where more than one drug is ordered.  The patient may only need or want one of the prescriptions filled initially.  Some pharmacists will make a copy of the prescription for the pharmacy records and then return the original prescription to the patient after crossing out the prescription filled.  THERE IS NO REASON, EVER, FOR THIS TO OCCUR.  Once a pharmacist has dispensed any doses from an original prescription, that original prescription must remain in the pharmacy files.  If the patient wants a copy of the prescription, the pharmacist may make a copy and mark it with the phrase “Copy-Informational Use Only” or another similar phrase.  Needless to say, any pharmacist then receiving such a document from a patient should not fill it.  If the patient wants one prescription filled and the other one saved for later or wants the other prescription filled at another pharmacy, please remember that you may now profile the prescription in your system and then, if needed, transfer the prescription to another pharmacy.  This may occur even if you have not dispensed any medications from that prescription.  If you need to review the procedures for the profiling and transfer of prescriptions, see Ohio Administrative Code Rules 4729-5-28(E) and 4729-5-24(E).  These are available in your law  book or from our website.  Please remember, once you have dispensed any doses from an original prescription, that form MUST remain at the pharmacy where the original dispensing occurred.  It must NEVER be given back to the patient.

 

The second thing that pharmacists do that we find unusual involves the canceling of CII prescriptions.  Prior to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, it was a requirement for pharmacists to cancel narcotic prescriptions by signing their name across the face of the prescription.  Many pharmacists also wrote “CANCELLED” in large letters on the face of the prescription in addition to signing their name.  Now that we have wide felt tip pens available for our use, some pharmacists do their best to obliterate the entire prescription, feeling that they still have to cancel the CII prescription.  Canceling a CII prescription in this manner has not been required since 1970, over thirty years ago.  Furthermore, by obliterating the text on the prescription and making it unreadable, the pharmacist has possibly destroyed any evidentiary value that the prescription may have had.  Please note: All that is required on a CII prescription to show that you have filled it is your name or initials and the date filled, the same as for all prescriptions, controlled or non-controlled.  PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL ANY PRESCRIPTION BY WRITING ACROSS ITS FACE.

 

DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

 

Anyone having a question regarding the license status of a particular practitioner, nurse, pharmacist, pharmacy intern, or dangerous drug distributor in Ohio should con­tact the appropriate licensing board.  The Web sites listed below may include disciplinary actions for their respective licensees.

 

State Dental Board--614/466-2580, www.state.oh.us/den/

State Medical Board--614/466-3934, www.state.oh.us/med/

State Nursing Board--614/466-3947, www.state.oh.us/nur/

State Optometry Board--614/466-5115, www.state.oh.us/opt/

State Pharmacy Board--614/466-4143, www.state.oh.us/pharmacy/

State Veterinary Medical Board--614/644-5281, www.state.oh.us/ovmlb/

Drug Enforcement Administration--800/230-6844; www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/

 

STATE PHARMACY BOARD:

The disciplinary actions listed below include only those where the individual’s license to practice has been suspended, revoked, or restricted, and does not include any other actions taken by the Board.  All actions may be seen in the minutes, which are posted on the Board's Web site (see address above) under "Board Minutes."

 

Orders of the Board:

Colin E. Bayliss, R.Ph.; Morgantown, WV - License revoked effective September 13, 2001.

Jay Stephan Belcher, R.Ph.; Cincinnati - Approved reinstatement July 16, 2001; Placed on probation five years effective August 20, 2001 with conditions: Must only work with another pharmacist present during the first year of probation; and may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, serve as a responsible pharmacist, or destroy or witness the destruction of controlled substances while on probation.

Robert Paul Blasko, R.Ph.; Canfield Township - License revoked effective December 16, 1999.

Jeffrey Paul Czuba, R.Ph.; North Olmsted - License suspended six months effective September 13, 2001 and, while suspended, may not be employed by or work in a facility licensed by the Board.  Upon reinstatement, license is placed on probation for nine and one-half years and, while on probation, may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, serve as a responsible pharmacist, or destroy or witness the destruction of controlled substances.

William Andrick Emery, R.Ph.; Copley - Placed on probation one year effective July 16, 2001 and may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, or serve as a responsible pharmacist while on probation.

Richard E. Hart, R.Ph.; Hamilton - License revoked effective September 13, 2001.

Walter Hubish, R.Ph.; North Olmsted - Approved reinstatement September 13, 2001; Placed on probation five years effective September 19, 2001 and may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, serve as a responsible pharmacist, or destroy or witness the destruction of controlled substances while on probation.

Randy R. Jones, R.Ph.; North Olmsted - License suspended six months effective July 16, 2001.  Upon reinstatement, license is placed on probation for five years and, while on probation, may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, or serve as a responsible pharmacist.

Parmjit Kaur Rai, Pharmacy Intern; Valleyview - License revoked effective December 18, 2000.

Larry Devonne Shaffer Jr., R.Ph.; Uhrichsville - Approved reinstatement May 18, 2001; Placed on probation five years effective July 12, 2001 and may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, serve as a responsible pharmacist, or destroy or witness the destruction of controlled substances while on probation.

John Paul Tekulve, R.Ph.; Columbus - Approved reinstatement September 13, 2001; Placed on probation five years effective September 21, 2001 and may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, serve as a responsible pharmacist, or destroy or witness the destruction of controlled substances while on probation.

Settlement Agreements:

Jeffrey J. Garbe, R.Ph.; Naples, FL - License placed on probation indefinitely effective October 1, 2001 and may not serve as a preceptor or train pharmacy interns, or serve as a responsible pharmacist while on probation.

Summary Suspensions:  [Sec. 3719.121 of the Revised Code]

Foster D. Farone, R.Ph.; Mt. Crawford, VA.  Effective October 4, 2001.

Ralph G. Homer, Jr., R.Ph.; Olmsted Township.  Effective September 13, 2001.

George L. Plataz, R.Ph.; Willoughby.  Effective October 4, 2001.

 

STATE MEDICAL BOARD:

A document of legal actions taken by the Medical Board may be accessed on the Medical Board's Web site (see address above) under Monthly Formal Actions.  If you would like a more detailed history of a legal action for an individual practitioner, go Back to the Medical Board's Home page, click on the Licensee Profile & Status tag, then follow the instructions.  Please contact the Medical Board if you have questions.

 

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