On March 13, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for all Texas Counties as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. In planning for the agency's response, the health and safety of the public and of our employees is of utmost concern. The offices of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy are open and operational, and we will continue to perform the essential functions of our agency while providing the highest level of service possible. Please note that agency employees are working remotely and our physical office is not open for visitors. The best way to contact the office is by email. A list of agency emails can be found here.

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Updates, News & Notices

	REMINDER: E-Prescribing Required Beginning January 1, 2021 House Bill 2174, 86th Texas Legislature, required that mandatory electronic controlled substances (Schedules II through V) prescribing begin January 1, 2021. Some key highlights for pharmacy professionals regarding this requirement are as follows: The pharmacist is not responsible for ensuring there is a waiver. In addition, there is no requirement of the pharmacist to ensure an appropriate waiver is granted. If the prescription is otherwise valid, the pharmacist can dispense the prescription. A pharmacist may dispense a controlled substance pursuant to an otherwise valid written, oral, or telephonically communicated prescription consistent with the requirements of the Texas Controlled Substances Act. TSBP does not have the authority to grant or deny waivers. Waivers are granted by the prescriber’s own licensing agency. >>Read TCSA 481.0755 >>Read TCSA 481.0756		Scam Alert Notice — UPDATE: May 2020 The Texas OAG released a notice May 7, 2020 regarding scammers posing as state agencies to solicit money from consumers. From the release: “There are variations of this scam, such as local law enforcement contacting you with a warrant, agencies asking for donations, back taxes or fines, or asking for your personal information to either confirm innocence or receive a payment. Government agencies do not email or call individuals with financial solicitations. Consumers are advised to keep their personal information private and, if contacted by someone claiming to represent a government agency, go to its official website and find a legitimate phone number to confirm.” Remember that TSBP staff does NOT request your personal information in unsolicited phone calls. TSBP will NEVER request money or bank account information in a phone call. You may report information on telephone scammers to the Texas OAG. >>Read the Texas OAG Release >>Learn more about reporting scammers
	Mandatory PMP Look-Up REMINDER: Beginning March 1, 2020, pharmacists and prescribers will be required to check a patient’s Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) history before dispensing or prescribing opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or carisoprodol. Visit the Texas PMP home page for additional information and resources: >>Texas PMP		New CE Requirements Several of the bills passed by the 86th Texas Legislature included required continuing education (CE) and a required training course for pharmacists. Pharmacy technicians will also be required to take a new training course. Learn more about these new requirements here: >>Pharmacist CE Information >>Technician CE Information
	TxPMP.org Learn more about how the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) can help keep Texans safe via this new PMP resource site created in partnership with Texas Health and Human Services >>Learn More		New Certificate Printing Process The Texas State Board of Pharmacy allows pharmacists, preceptors, interns, technicians, and technician trainees to print a free copy of the initial and renewal license/registration certificates >>Learn More
	New Fees - Effective May 15, 2020 The Texas State Board of Pharmacy has updated its fees effective May 15, 2020. There are no changes to fee totals; only allocations have been updated. >>Learn More		Hemp & CBD Information The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has included a resource information page for consumers and retailers regarding hemp and CBD on the DSHS Hemp Program page >>Learn More
	Texas Medical Board Issues UPDATED Guidance on Physician Requirements to Check the Texas PMP The Texas Medical Board (TMB) has released an updated guidance statement regarding new physician requirements to check the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) outlined in recent legislation >>Read the Updated Guidance Statement

Additional Important Information

• Recognizing Nontherapeutic Dispensing or ("Pill Mill" Activity)
• Notification of Temporary Suspensions
• Pharmacists Authorized to Sign Prescriptions When Performing Drug Therapy Management Under Protocol
• Information Regarding Controlled Substances
• Patient Safety Reminder