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Legislative Update January 2002

Alyson Welsh, Director of Government Affairs

Governor Taft signs Food Licensure Exemption Bill into Law !
On November 21, 2001, Governor Bob Taft signed Senate Bill 136 into law. This bill, sponsored by State Senator Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon), exempts pharmacies from the licensure requirements as a retail food establishment (RFE). SB 136 became law immediately upon Governor Taft’s signature because the bill contained an emergency clause.

The signing of SB 136 means that any pharmacy in Ohio which does not sell perishable food items, should no longer be receiving visits from their local boards of health, and will no longer be required to pay a RFE licensure fee. If you still receive a visit from your local board of health in regard to this license, and you do not sell perishable food items in your pharmacy, please feel free to call the OPA office for assistance.

Pharmacy Board Drops Patient Care CE Requirement
The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy voted to drop the current requirement for “patient care” continuing education. Currently, 45 of the 60 hours reported annually must be in “patient care” topics. These are designated by the “01” or “02” suffix in program numbers. The requirement for three of the 60 hours to be in Board-approved jurisprudence programs will remain. The other 57 hours would be courses that are fitting to your practice.

The State Board of Pharmacy originally had 18 rules filed for the December 3, 2001 JCARR (Join Committee on Agency Rule Review) meeting, but two of those rules were withdrawn before the hearing and will have to be refiled. However, the Board hopes to have all 18 rules effective on the same date. The two withdrawn rules have been refiled with the intent to have them heard at the January 2002 JCARR meeting. If JCARR approves the rules in January, they will also set an effective date at that time. OPA will keep you updated on the effective date of these new rules.

Mark Your Calendars for the 2002 Pharmacy PAC Breakfast!
Get ready to attend this year’s Pharmacy PAC Breakfast on Saturday, April 20, 2002 ! In conjunction with the OPA Annual Meeting, we will again be hosting this breakfast to raise awareness and funds for the OPA Political Action Committee (PAC). Be prepared to hear from a top Ohio official on the status of pharmacy legislation and what the future looks like in Ohio’s political world.

Because of last year’s success with the “Student Sponsor” option of the Pharmacy PAC Breakfast, we will again be offering OPA members this opportunity. What a great chance to help both the Pharmacy PAC and enlighten a pharmacy student on the importance of keeping aware of the changes in both the legislative and regulatory arenas. Simply mark April 20, 2002 on your calendar for the PAC Breakfast and keep a lookout for your OPA Annual Conference brochure which will be mailed this month. PAC Breakfast registration and student sponsorship are included on the registration form. We look forward to seeing you in April!

If you cannot attend the Annual Conference, you may still sponsor a student ($50) or make a general contribution to PAC. Corporate checks are not allowed under Ohio law. Make your personal check payable to Pharmacy PAC and mail it to:
Pharmacy PAC
Ohio Pharmacists Association
6037 Frantz Road, Suite 106
Dublin, OH 43017
Thanks for your support of the future of the pharmacy profession in Ohio.

Get Involved in 2002!
Join other OPA members by becoming a member of the “Who Do You Know?” legislative group. This is a list of OPA members who have some type of relationship with their state legislators. State Representatives and State Senators, in addition to U.S. Congress Representatives and U.S. Senators, represent everyone in Ohio. Our goal for 2002 is to ensure that OPA has personal pharmacist contacts with each and every member of the Ohio General Assembly.
If you have ever met your legislator at your county fair, filled their prescription, received a letter from them and/or have sent them a letter, please let us know. This personal contact is important in retaining and obtaining relationships with local pharmacists in their districts. For your convenience you may submit your legislative contact information on-line. $$LinkToForm18,4 Please take a few minutes to fill out this online form”. We will create a contact list for all legislators and be able to use your relationship with them to personalize our communications. Thanks for your help!