Registering with the Board of Pharmacy in Accordance with the Controlled Substances Act

The next rule review includes 481-67.5(1) If the program handles, stores, or administers controlled substances, the program shall be registered with the Board of Pharmacy. While there are several other rules included in Chapter 67.5, they require quite a bit of information. For March, we will focus on this rule.

According to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy Controlled Substances Act (CSA) Registrations, all health care providers (including assisted living) who distribute controlled substances must register under the CSA. As a reminder, health care providers may distribute schedule II – V drugs which include commonly prescribed medications in the older adult population such as opioids (hydrocodone, Percocet, etc) and benzodiazepines (alprazolam, lorazepam, etc).

The CSA Registration Application and Forms must be completed to register with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. Once registered, you are required to renew your registration which can be completed online 60 days prior to the expiration and up to four months after expiration. Penalties and disciplinary sanctions may apply if you do not timely renew your registration.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy Controlled Substances Act website has great information if you need assistance with developing policies and procedures such as destroying controlled substances in a long-term care setting. Since assisted living programs do not always staff more than one nurse at a time, the Board of Pharmacy suggests that a licensed healthcare professional including a pharmacist, registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse in witness of one other responsible adult (note this would include individuals 18 years of age or older) can destroy controlled substances in accordance with the CSA.