Virginia Law

Article 2. Permitting of Pharmacies.

Every pharmacy shall be under the personal supervision of a pharmacist on the premises of the pharmacy.

Code 1950, § 54-478; 1958, c. 551; 1970, c. 650, § 54-524.51; 1988, c. 765.

It shall be unlawful for any place of business which is not a pharmacy as defined in this chapter to advertise or to have upon it or in it as a sign the words, "pharmacy," "pharmacist," "apothecary," "drugstore," "druggist," "drugs," "medicine store," "drug sundries," "prescriptions filled" or any like words indicating that drugs are compounded or sold or prescriptions filled. Each day during which such advertisement appears or such sign is allowed to remain upon or in such place of business shall constitute a separate offense under this section. Upon consultation with the Department of Historic Resources, the Board may grant an exception from this section for such signage on an historic building that formerly housed a drugstore or pharmacy if that building is individually listed as a Virginia Historic Landmark, a contributing property in a Virginia Historic Landmark District, or determined to be eligible for listing by the Department of Historic Resources, provided that the signage relates to the historic character of the building.

Code 1950, § 54-477; 1970, c. 650, § 54-524.49; 1988, c. 765; 2005, c. 97.

No person shall conduct a pharmacy without first obtaining a permit from the Board.

The application for such permit shall be made on a form provided by the Board and signed by a pharmacist who will be in full and actual charge of the pharmacy and who will be fully engaged in the practice of pharmacy at the location designated on the application.

The application shall (i) show the corporate name and trade name, (ii) list any pharmacist in addition to the pharmacist-in-charge practicing at the location indicated on the application, and (iii) list the hours during which the pharmacy will be open to provide pharmacy services. Any change in the hours of operation, which is expected to last more than one week, shall be reported to the Board in writing and posted, at least fourteen days prior to the anticipated change, in a conspicuous place to provide notice to the public. The Board shall promulgate regulations to provide exceptions to this prior notification.

If the owner is other than the pharmacist making the application, the type of ownership shall be indicated and shall list any partner or partners, and, if a corporation, then the corporate officers and directors. Further, if the owner is not a pharmacist, he shall not abridge the authority of the pharmacist-in-charge to exercise professional judgment relating to the dispensing of drugs in accordance with this act and Board regulations.

The permit shall be issued only to the pharmacist who signs the application as the pharmacist-in-charge and as such assumes the full responsibilities for the legal operation of the pharmacy. This permit and responsibilities shall not be construed to negate any responsibility of any pharmacist or other person.

Upon termination of practice by the pharmacist-in-charge, or upon any change in partnership composition, or upon the acquisition, as defined in Board regulations, of the existing corporation by another person or the closing of a pharmacy, the permit previously issued shall be immediately surrendered to the Board by the pharmacist-in-charge to whom it was issued, or by his legal representative, and an application for a new permit may be made in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

The Board shall promulgate regulations (i) defining acquisition of an existing permitted, registered or licensed facility or of any corporation under which the facility is directly or indirectly organized; (ii) providing for the transfer, confidentiality, integrity, and security of the pharmacy's prescription dispensing records and other patient records, regardless of where located; and (iii) establishing a reasonable time period for designation of a new pharmacist-in-charge. At the conclusion of the time period for designation of a new pharmacist-in-charge, a pharmacy which has failed to designate a new pharmacist-in-charge shall not operate as a pharmacy nor maintain a stock of prescription drugs on the premises. The Director shall immediately notify the owner of record that the pharmacy no longer holds a valid permit and that the owner shall make provision for the proper disposition of all Schedule II through VI drugs and devices on the premises within 15 days of receipt of this notice. At the conclusion of the 15-day period, the Director or his authorized agent, or any law-enforcement officer in coordination with the Director, shall seize and indefinitely secure all Schedule II through VI drugs and devices still on the premises, and the Director shall notify the owner of such seizure. The Director, his authorized agent, or the law-enforcement officer may properly dispose of the seized drugs and devices after 60 days from the date of the notice of seizure if the owner has not claimed and provided for the proper disposition of the property. The Board or law-enforcement agency shall assess a fee of not less than the cost of storage of said drugs upon the owner for reclaiming seized property.

The succeeding pharmacist-in-charge shall cause an inventory to be made of all Schedule I, II, III, IV and V drugs on hand. Such inventory shall be completed as of the date he becomes pharmacist-in-charge and prior to opening for business on that date.

The pharmacist to whom such permit is issued shall provide safeguards against diversion of all controlled substances.

An application for a pharmacy permit shall be accompanied by a fee determined by the Board. All permits shall expire annually on a date determined by the Board in regulation.

Every pharmacy shall be equipped so that prescriptions can be properly filled. The Board of Pharmacy shall prescribe the minimum of such professional and technical equipment and reference material which a pharmacy shall at all times possess. Nothing shall prevent a pharmacist who is eligible to receive information from the Prescription Monitoring Program from requesting and receiving such information; however, no pharmacy shall be required to maintain Internet access to the Prescription Monitoring Program. No permit shall be issued or continued for the conduct of a pharmacy until or unless there is compliance with the provisions of this chapter and regulations promulgated by the Board.

Every pharmacy shall comply with federal requirements for an electronic, interoperable system to identify, trace, and verify prescription drugs as they are distributed.

Each day during which a person is in violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense.

1970, c. 650, § 54-524.31; 1972, c. 798; 1976, c. 614; 1977, c. 302; 1980, c. 288; 1983, c. 286; 1986, c. 207; 1988, cc. 445, 765; 1994, c. 299; 1998, c. 470; 2000, c. 135; 2008, c. 320; 2011, c. 610; 2016, c. 221; 2019, c. 94.

A. Prior to the closing of a pharmacy for more than one week, the owner shall either (i) post a conspicuous notice at least thirty days prior to the anticipated closing or (ii) mail a notice, at least fourteen days prior to the anticipated closing, to every current pharmacy customer having refill authority. Each notice posted or mailed pursuant to this section shall indicate the date of such closing, if available, and the name of the pharmacy to which prescriptions and other required prescription dispensing records and individual patient records will be transferred unless patients indicate their preference to the contrary. The Board of Pharmacy shall promulgate regulations providing for a definition of "closing of a pharmacy" and exceptions to the requirements of this section.

B. Upon any change of ownership of a pharmacy, regardless of how such change may be effectuated, the prescription dispensing records and other patient records for at least two years immediately prior to the change of ownership, shall be transferred, in accordance with Board regulations, to the new owner in a manner to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of the pharmacy's prescription dispensing records and other patient records and the continuity of pharmacy services at substantially the same level as that offered by the previous owner.

Refusing to process a request for the prescription dispensing records and other patient records tendered in accordance with law or regulation shall constitute a closing and the requirements of this section shall apply. Such refusal may constitute a violation of § 54.1-111 A 9, depending on the circumstance.

1992, c. 667; 1994, c. 668; 1998, c. 470.

A. Hospitals or nursing homes licensed pursuant to Title 32.1, state facilities as defined in § 37.2-100 established pursuant to Title 37.2, facilities as defined in § 37.2-100 that are licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and provide site-based crisis stabilization services, or other facilities authorized by the Board may use automated drug dispensing systems and remote dispensing systems, as defined in § 54.1-3401, upon meeting the following conditions:

1. Drugs are placed in the automated drug dispensing system or remote dispensing system in such hospital, nursing home, or facility and are under the control of a pharmacy providing services to the hospital, nursing home, or facility;

2. The pharmacist-in-charge of the pharmacy providing services to the hospital, nursing home, or facility has established procedures for ensuring the accurate stocking and proper storage of drugs in the automated drug dispensing system or remote dispensing system and for ensuring accountability for and security of all drugs utilized in such system until the time such drugs are removed from such system for administration to the patients;

3. Removal of drugs from any automated drug dispensing system or remote dispensing system for administration to patients can only be made pursuant to a valid prescription or lawful order of a prescriber;

4. Adequate security for automated drug dispensing systems or remote dispensing systems is provided, as evidenced by written policies and procedures, for (i) preventing unauthorized access, (ii) complying with federal and state regulations on prescribing and dispensing controlled substances, (iii) maintaining patient confidentiality, and (iv) ensuring compliance with the requirements of this section;

5. Accountability for drugs dispensed from automated drug dispensing systems or remote dispensing systems is vested in the pharmacist-in-charge of a pharmacy located within the hospital, nursing home, or facility or the pharmacist-in-charge of the outside pharmacy providing pharmacy services to the hospital, nursing home, or facility;

6. Filling and stocking of all drugs in automated drug dispensing systems or remote dispensing systems shall be performed under the direction of the pharmacist-in-charge. The task of filling and stocking of drugs into such system shall be performed by a pharmacist or a registered pharmacy technician, who shall be an employee of the provider pharmacy and shall be properly trained in accordance with established standards set forth in a policy and procedure manual maintained by the provider pharmacy. The pharmacist stocking and filling such system or the pharmacist-in-charge, if such system is stocked and filled by a registered pharmacy technician, shall be responsible for the proper and accurate stocking and filling of the automated drug dispensing system or remote dispensing system; and

7. Except when the automated drug dispensing system is used exclusively for administration of drugs for emergencies, a pharmacy located outside of the hospital, nursing home, or facility it services according to this subsection shall first obtain a controlled substances registration issued in the name of the pharmacy at the address of the hospital, nursing home, or facility and a registration from the Drug Enforcement Administration, if required, prior to stocking controlled substances in Schedules II through VI.

B. Except as authorized by the Board, drugs placed into and removed from automated drug dispensing systems or remote dispensing systems for administration to patients shall be in the manufacturer's or distributor's sealed original packaging or in unit-dose containers packaged by the pharmacy. Drugs in multi-dose packaging or in a liquid, injectable, or inhaled formulation may be placed in such a device if approved by the pharmacist-in-charge in consultation with pharmacy, medical, and nursing staff of the hospital, nursing home, or facility.

C. The pharmacist-in-charge in a pharmacy located within a hospital, nursing home, or facility or the pharmacist-in-charge of any outside pharmacy providing pharmacy services to a hospital, nursing home, or facility shall be responsible for establishing procedures for (i) periodically inspecting and auditing automated drug dispensing systems and remote dispensing systems to ensure the proper storage, security, and accountability for all drugs placed in and removed from automated drug dispensing systems and remote dispensing systems and (ii) reviewing the operation and maintenance of automated drug dispensing systems and remote dispensing systems. For hospitals with a pharmacy located within the hospital, monitoring shall be reviewed by a pharmacist while on the premises of the hospital and in accordance with the pharmacist-in-charge's procedures and the Board of Pharmacy's regulations.

D. The Board of Pharmacy shall promulgate regulations establishing minimum requirements for random periodic inspections and monthly audits of automated drug dispensing systems and remote dispensing systems to ensure the proper storage, security, and accountability of all drugs placed in and removed from such systems and for reviewing the operation and maintenance of such systems.

E. Notwithstanding this section, the Board shall promulgate regulations for the use of a remote dispensing system to store drugs previously dispensed and labeled by the provider pharmacy in compliance with current laws and regulations. Such regulations shall identify the location where such system may be placed and requirements to ensure the security of the drug, confidentiality of protected health information, and appropriate recordkeeping.

1999, c. 750; 2004, c. 140; 2009, c. 100; 2024, cc. 63, 513.

Each pharmacy shall implement a program for continuous quality improvement, according to regulations of the Board. Such program shall provide for a systematic, ongoing process of analysis of dispensing errors that uses findings to formulate an appropriate response and to develop or improve pharmacy systems and workflow processes designed to prevent or reduce future errors. The Board shall promulgate regulations to further define the required elements of such program.

Any pharmacy that actively reports to a patient safety organization that has as its primary mission continuous quality improvement under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-41), shall be deemed in compliance with this section.

2011, c. 124.

The Board of Pharmacy shall, in cases in which a monetary fine may be imposed for a violation of the provisions of Article 2 (§ 54.1-3432 et seq.) of the Drug Control Act relating to the practice of pharmacy and the pharmacy subject to the fine is affiliated with a free clinic that receives state or local funds, ascertain the factual basis for its decisions of such cases through informal conference or consultation proceedings in accordance with § 2.2-4019, unless the named party and the Board agree to resolve the matter through a consent order or the named party consents to waive such a conference or proceeding to go directly to a formal hearing.

2014, c. 345.

A. No person shall act as an outsourcing facility without first obtaining a permit from the Board.

B. Applications for a permit to act as an outsourcing facility shall be made on a form provided by the Board and signed by a pharmacist who will be in full and actual charge of the outsourcing facility and who will be fully engaged in the compounding performed at the location designated on the application. Such application shall be accompanied by a fee determined by the Board in regulation. All permits shall expire annually on a date determined by the Board in regulation. No permit shall be issued or renewed for an outsourcing facility unless the facility can demonstrate compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations governing outsourcing facilities.

C. As a prerequisite to obtaining or renewing a permit from the Board, the outsourcing facility shall (i) register as an outsourcing facility with the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in accordance with 21 U.S.C. § 353b and (ii) submit a copy of a current inspection report resulting from an inspection conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that indicates compliance with the requirements of state and federal law and regulations, including all applicable guidance documents and Current Good Manufacturing Practices published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The inspection report required pursuant to clause (ii) shall be deemed current for the purposes of this section if the inspection was conducted (a) no more than one year prior to the date of submission of an application for a permit to the Board or (b) no more than two years prior to the date of submission of an application for renewal of a permit to the Board. However, if the outsourcing facility has not been inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the required period, the Board may accept an inspection report or other documentation from another entity that is satisfactory to the Board, or the Board may cause an inspection to be conducted by its duly authorized agent and may charge an inspection fee in an amount sufficient to cover the costs of the inspection.

D. Every outsourcing facility shall compound in compliance with the requirements of state and federal law and regulations except § 54.1-3410.2, to include all applicable guidance documents and Current Good Manufacturing Practices published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

E. An outsourcing facility shall not engage in compounding of drug products to be dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription for a specific patient without first obtaining a permit to operate a pharmacy.

2015, c. 300.