Text Box: Some time ago I wrote an article about privacy and independence in America. It covered Neilson rating’s brain washing to like or dislike a TV show. It also showed how the use of video camera, driving license, health insurance, and social security number can all be use to trace out all about a person. Now I can re write the same article and add a lot of new items, which are used to invade an individual’s privacy. Here I am writing about one phase of this process and how it affects the poor pharmacist, who has to deal with so many agencies common readers would ‘not believe that, but if you are a pharmacist you better believe it otherwise you are in trouble. According to gallop poll, a pharmacist has to follow ethical and moral values while dealing with the business aspect. He/She has to deal with laws and regulations of the city, state, and federal agencies. Moreover, laws may appear in different forms such as statutes, regulations or agencies decisions. There are various types of laws. Civil law which governs the relationships of the individual to a society as a whole. Two important subdivision of civil laws are contracts and tort law. The former concerns with the relationship that exist automatically by virtue of law. Juridical law is a results of a specific action by the legislature. Regulations are promulgated by administrative agencies to enhance enforcement and understanding of statutes. Each type of law is applicable to pharmacists and pharmacy practice. Here are some of the examples: State Board of Pharmacy State Drug Utilization Review Offices Drug Enforcement Administration - DEA has 21 domestic field divisions throughout the United States including Puerto Rico. Each managed by a special agent in charge (SAC). Sub ordinate to these divisions are resident offices, district offices, and post of duty with at least one office located in every state .Overseas the DEA maintains 78 offices in 56 foreign countries

Pakistani American Pharmaceutical Association
Text Box: Page # Text Box: Poor Pharmacist !!!!

·          Third Party Insurance Companies with their own rules and regulations.

·           Privacy  Act – HIPPA  law

 

Your computer is not your friend either my dear pharmacist it is a spy of third parties and your bosses. Therefore, watch out for this computer of yours it could act as an informant of lot of actions of yours.

·          Patients - to make them happy will satisfy you but do not make them angry because that will be known to every body.  Don’t forget customer is always right

·          For wt and measure, local state has to issue permit of your torsion balance- pill counter.

·           Each state has its  own rules and regulation, some times one agency can rule out other agency’s rules and regulation in different states. For example, DEA wants a triplicate form for schedule II drugs in New York State but it is ok for practitioner in the state of New Jersey  to write on ordinary prescription pads.

·          In the state of New York, Medicaid accepts a prescription refill for 6 months while Medicaid in the state  New Jersey State OKs that Rx for 1 year.

 
Text Box: Excerpts from DEA Warning Letter

This document explains what constitutes legitimate controlled substances' transactions via the Internet.

February 2005 

Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!

The following Frequently Asked Questions are being published by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Office of Diversion Control as an educational/public awareness component relative to the use of the Internet for the purposes of purchasing, prescribing, dispensing and importing of controlled substances. The DEA recognizes that while some Internet sites facilitate legitimate prescribing and dispensing practices, other sites facilitate the illegal sale of controlled substances. These sites of illicit activity enable some consumers to illegally purchase controlled substances without realizing they are committing a crime. The DEA regards this as a critical issue

and is taking steps to address it. This document is intended to serve as general guidance to.

prescribers, pharmacists, the regulatory and law enforcement communities, as well as the general public regarding the application of current laws and regulations to controlled substances transactions conducted via the Internet.

Questions for Patients/Consumers

Can an individual order drugs using the Internet without seeing a doctor?

Text Box: Contributed By Sadid Qureshi R.Ph. Sadid Qureshi is editor of PFA and a radio host of Pakistani Radio Program in New Jersey Text Box: Contributed by Mohammad Saleem R.Ph. FASCP Saleem & Associates Consultants

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