Current Issues
Iowa Court of Appeals Rules
The Iowa Court of Appeals, the state's intermediate appellate court, recently issued an opinion holding that a statement of charges issued by the Iowa Board of Medicine (IBM) against a physician licensee, including a short plain statement of factual circumstances on which those charges are based, is a matter of public record. Read more...
IBM adopts collaborative practice rules for patient drug therapy management - protocol must be filed with the Pharmacy Board by October 1!
The Iowa Board of Medicine (IBM), in coordination with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy Examiners (IBPE), has adopted final rules governing collaborative practice arrangements between physicians and pharmacists relating to patient drug therapy management. A physician may enter into a collaborative drug therapy management relationship only with an authorized pharmacist only under a written protocol that conforms to the rules and is filed with the IBPE. The rules draw a distinction between "community practice protocol" and "hospital practice protocol." Under written community practice protocol, the physician may delegate to an authorized pharmacist certain acts set forth in the rules, including therapeutic interchange or modification of drug dosages based on symptoms or laboratory or physical findings as defined in the protocol; obtaining or conducting laboratory tests relating to drug therapy management; checking certain physical findings relating to drug therapy management; and monitoring patient specific activities. An "authorized" pharmacist must meet the training requirements set forth in separate rules issued by the IBPE.
Physicians now engaged in collaborative drug therapy management arrangements with pharmacists must conform that relationship to the IBM rules and IBPE rules by October 1. The rules have many requirements.
The IBM and the IBPE continue discussion of whether and to what extent pharmacists may order and/or perform laboratory screening or testing for drug therapy management purposes. IMS is participating in those discussions.
