Professional Practice Issues

Professional Practice Issues

Professional Practice Issues

NCPA works to create a professional practice environment for community pharmacies that allows them to expand their patient care services. We follow issues such as Board of Pharmacy regulations, DEA regulations, public health initiatives, FDA guidances, pharmacy accreditation, drug abuse, drug disposal, collaborative care models, and health records interconnectivity.

Federal and Regulatory Agency Information

  • CDC
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services, whose mission is to collaborate to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.
    • NCPA’s Immunization Resource Center
      The site provides business practice resources on the most common immunizations, including influenza, Herpes Zoster, Meningococcal, Hepatitis B, HPV, and Pneumococcal. The site provides brief descriptions of the ID topic listed, links to websites and CE opportunities, quick facts, forms and guidelines, and patient education material.
    • Vaccine Information
      CDC's homepage on a variety of topics related to immunizations, including: immunization schedules, state requirements, vaccine supply/shortages, clinical recommendations, and vaccine information statements (VIS) available for download.
  • DEA
    The Drug Enforcement Administration is the agency responsible for enforcing the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States.
  • FDA
    An agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation, and by regulating the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods, and to reduce tobacco use to improve health.
  • National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
    Founded in 1904, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is the impartial professional organization that supports the state boards of pharmacy in protecting public health. NABP aims to ensure the public's health and safety through its pharmacist license transfer and pharmacist competence assessment programs, as well as through various accreditation programs.

Professional Practice Issues

  • Compounding Organizations and Associations
    • PCAB
      The Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB). PCAB is a not-for-profit corporation formed by eight national pharmacy organizations that recognized the need for a national standards organization for compounding pharmacy. PCAB's mission is to organize and carryout a comprehensive program of voluntary accreditation in the practice of pharmacy compounding. The member organizations are:
    • IACP
      The mission of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) is to protect, promote and advance the art and science of pharmacy compounding. IACP is the recognized authority for information, expertise, and practice standards with regard to pharmacy compounding.
    • PCCA
      The mission of the Professional Compounding Center of America (PCCA) is to strengthen the role, position and skills of member compounding pharmacists so they can meet the unique healthcare needs of patients through our exceptional service, highest-quality products, shared innovations and education. One patient. One physician. One pharmacist. A triad relationship with a common goal: achieving a positive therapeutic outcome for the patient. And in the midst of this relationship and this common goal is PCCA, the leader in pharmacy compounding since 1981.
    • USP
      The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is the official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and other healthcare products manufactured and sold in the United States. USP sets standards for the quality of these products and works with healthcare providers to help them reach the standards. USP's standards are also recognized and used in more than 130 countries. These standards have been helping to ensure good pharmaceutical care for people throughout the world for more than 185 years. USP is an independent, science-based public health organization. As a self-sustaining non-profit organization, USP is funded through revenues from the sale of products and services that help to ensure good pharmaceutical care. USP's contributions to public health are enriched by the participation and oversight of volunteers representing pharmacy, medicine, and other healthcare professions as well as academia, government, the pharmaceutical industry, health plans, and consumer organizations.
  • Drug Abuse Initiatives
    • Prevent Rx Abuse
      As one of the most accessible and trusted health care providers, community pharmacists recognize the importance of addressing the serious and growing problem of prescription drug diversion and abuse. NCPA encourages community pharmacists to commit themselves to supporting national and local efforts to prevent the misuse and abuse of both prescription and non-prescription medications. Please visit www.ncpanet.org/preventrxabuse for information and patient education materials on proper storage of medications and community outreach efforts.
    • Dispose My Meds
      This program demonstrates the role of the pharmacist as a valuable member in the community and encourage patients to turn to their community pharmacist as the medication expert, from dispensing to disposal.
  • Preventing Fraud, Waste and Abuse
    This online program is designed to educate pharmacy owners and employees about the federal laws and guidelines related to fraud, waste, and abuse. The course has been endorsed by the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association and recommended by several Medicare Part D plans to assure compliance with federal requirements. It is available to NCPA members for discount.
  • Health Information Technology
    NCPA is a founding member of, and Executive Committee representative to the Pharmacy e-Health Information Technology (eHIT) Collaborative. The Collaborative is focused on influencing the structure, development, and implementation of the US HIT infrastructure to ensure safe, efficient, and effective medication used through pharmacist-provided patient care services within an interdisciplinary medical team. The Collaborative is pursuing electronic health record standards that effectively support the delivery, documentation of and billing for pharmacist-provided patient care services across all health care settings.

Medication and Patient Safety Organizations

  • National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE)
    A coalition of over 125 diverse organizations whose mission is to stimulate and improve communication of information on appropriate medicine use to consumers and healthcare professionals. Two out of every three visits to the doctor ends with a prescription being written. Over 3 billion prescriptions are dispensed yearly. While taking medicines is very common, it's not always easy to take them correctly. For nearly 25 years, NCPIE has been at the forefront in promoting information sharing among consumers, prescribers, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.
  • Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
    The mission of ISMP is to understand the causes of medication errors and provide time-critical error-reduction strategies to the healthcare community, policy makers, and the public. The Institute has a long history of achievements. Its medication error prevention efforts began in 1975 with a groundbreaking and continuing column in Hospital Pharmacy that increases understanding and educates healthcare professionals and others about medication error prevention.
  • Partnership for Safe Medicines
    The Partnership for Safe Medicines is a group of organizations and individuals that have policies, procedures, or programs to protect consumers from counterfeit or contraband medicines.

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