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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 18. Professional And Occupational Licensing
Agency 110. Board of Pharmacy
Chapter 20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Pharmacy
11/21/2024

18VAC110-20-550. Stat-drug box.

A. An additional drug box called a stat-drug box may be prepared by a pharmacy to provide for initiating therapy prior to the receipt of ordered drugs from the pharmacy. Access to the stat-drug box is restricted to a licensed nurse, pharmacist, or prescriber and only these licensed individuals may administer a drug taken from the stat-drug box. Additionally, a valid prescription or lawful order of a prescriber must exist prior to the removal of any drug from the stat-drug box. A stat-drug box shall be subject to the following conditions:

1. The box is sealed in such a manner that will preclude the loss of drugs.

a. The dispensing pharmacy must have a method of sealing such boxes so that once the seal is broken, it cannot be reasonably resealed without the breach being detected.

b. If a seal is used, it shall have a unique numeric or alphanumeric identifier to preclude replication or resealing, or both. The pharmacy shall maintain a record of the seal identifiers when placed on a box and maintain the record until such time as the seal is replaced.

c. In lieu of seals, a box with a built-in mechanism preventing resealing or relocking once opened except by the provider pharmacy is also acceptable.

2. The box shall have a form to be filled out upon opening the box and removing contents to write the name of the person opening the box, the date, the time, and the name and quantity of items removed. When the stat-drug box has been opened, it is returned to the pharmacy.

3. There shall be a listing of the contents of the box maintained in the pharmacy and also attached to the box in the facility. This same listing shall become a part of the policy and procedure manual of the facility served by the pharmacy.

4. The drug listing on the box shall bear an expiration date for the box. The expiration date shall be the day on which the first drug in the box will expire.

5. The contents of the box shall be limited to those drugs in which a delay in initiating therapy may result in harm to the patient.

a. The listing of drugs contained in the stat-drug box shall be determined by the provider pharmacist in consultation with the medical and nursing staff of the long-term care facility.

b. The stat-drug box shall contain no more than 20 solid dosage units per schedule of Schedules II through V drugs except that one unit of liquid, not to exceed 30 ml, may be substituted for a solid dosage unit in each drug schedule. If the unit of a liquid that may contain more than one dose is removed from the stat-drug box pursuant to a patient order, the remainder shall be stored with that patient's other drugs, may be used for subsequent doses administered to that patient, and shall not be administered to any other patient.

B. Drugs that would be stocked in a stat-drug box, pursuant to this section, may be stocked in an automated drug dispensing system in a nursing home in accordance with 18VAC110-20-555, except that the quantity of drugs in Schedules II through V stocked in the system shall be determined by the provider pharmacist in consultation with the medical and nursing staff of the nursing home.

C. The pharmacy may provide more than one stat-drug box to a long-term care facility. Contents of the multiple boxes are not required to be uniform.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3307 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR530‑01‑1 § 11.4, eff. October 25, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 9, Issue 4, eff. December 16, 1992; Volume 10, Issue 1, eff. November 4, 1993; Volume 11, Issue 21, eff. August 9, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 8, eff. February 3, 1999; Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. August 25, 2004; Volume 25, Issue 24, eff. September 2, 2009; Volume 26, Issue 6, eff. January 7, 2010; Volume 35, Issue 3 eff. October 31, 2018; Volume 36, Issue 6, eff. December 11, 2019.

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