NABP sustains state pharmacy boards

NABP is guided by its preamble and mission statement.

Preamble

Mission statement

The mission statement affirms that "NABP is the independent, international, and impartial association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health."

Membership

NABP's member boards of pharmacy consist of 8 "district" groupings composed of all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 8 Canadian provinces, Australia, and New Zealand. NABP is governed by its Executive Committee, whose officers and members are elected annually.

NABP convenes district meetings in each of the 8 districts where pharmacy decisions protecting the public health are made at a regional level by NABP members. These meetings are followed by an annual meeting where all member boards of pharmacy and industry stakeholders have an opportunity to assemble and resolve healthcare issues on a national level.

Education and accreditation

NABP assists states through its pharmacist license transfer and pharmacist competence assessment programs. NABP administers both a practice exam, known as pre-NAPLEX, for pharmacists preparing to take the NAPLEX exam, and the NAPLEX exam itself.

NABP administers the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence examination, which combines specific questions pertaining to federal and state law. Foreign pharmacists intending to practice pharmacy in the United States must complete a certification program composed of an educational assessment (FPGEE) offered by NABP and TOEFL-IBT. A pre-FPGEE practice exam is also available.

NABP also offers various accreditation programs such as VIPPS, Vet-VIPPS, VAWD, and DMEPOS. It also provides an "e-Advertiser Approval Program" that approves limited pharmacy or prescription services offered by internet advertisers.

Model laws and regulations

NABP also provides pharmacy boards with model pharmacy legislation and regulations. This model language is beneficial in helping boards of pharmacy with novel language in developing areas of pharmacy law and resolving ambiguous language within a state, as well as providing potentially uniform language among the states on a national basis.

PMP InterConnect

NABP PMP InterConnect is NABP's most recent initiative to protect public health through reduced abuse and diversion of prescription medications. NABP will work with participating state prescription monitoring program (PMP) administrators and their software vendors to finalize the software interface so that PMP systems can efficiently and effectively communicate with the NABP InterConnect and facilitate interoperability among state PMPs.

Data-sharing among states is thought to be an important part of early detection of prescription drug abuse, enabling intervention and prevention of substance abuse and diversion of controlled substances.

Ned Milenkovich is a member at McDonald Hopkins, LLC, and chairs its drug and pharmacy practice group. He is also a member of the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy. Contact Ned at 312-642-1480 or at nmilenkovich@mcdonaldhopkins.com
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