Senate committee approves pharmacy rule rewrite but strips disputed compounding labeling lines

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee on a roll call vote approved the Idaho State Board of Pharmacy’s pending rule chapter rewrite (docket 24-3601-2402) while striking three disputed labeling subsections that govern distribution of compounded drug products.

The committee first took no action on a temporary rule docket (24-3601-2401), as presented by Nikki Chopsky, bureau chief for health professions at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses and executive officer for the Idaho State Board of Pharmacy. Chopsky told the committee the temporary chapter was published after passage of House Bill 527 and was intended to avoid duplicating statute in rule; she asked the committee to let the temporary rules lapse and handle the clean, pending rewrite instead. "This uncluttered rule chapter then served as the basis of the board's ZBR efforts," Chopsky said during her overview.

The pending rewrite consolidated definitions, moved provisions now in statute out of rule, and reorganized sections on licensure, practice standards, discipline, fees and compounding. Chopsky said the board held five open public meetings, two negotiated-rulemaking hearings and one public hearing and that representatives from both state pharmacy associations and other stakeholders participated; she described attendance in some meetings as "maybe 12 to 15 people in the room and maybe as many as 20 online." She also told the…