103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1889

 

Introduced 2/9/2023, by Sen. Chapin Rose

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 85/15.1

    Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that when a pharmacist is not present in the pharmacy, a registered pharmacy technician, a registered certified pharmacy technician, a student pharmacist, and other supportive staff shall dispense prescriptions that have received final verification by a pharmacist.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB1889LRB103 03306 AMQ 48312 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Pharmacy Practice Act is amended by
5changing Section 15.1 as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 85/15.1)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
8    Sec. 15.1. Pharmacy working conditions.
9    (a) A pharmacy licensed under this Act shall not require a
10pharmacist, student pharmacist, or pharmacy technician to work
11longer than 12 continuous hours per day, inclusive of the
12breaks required under subsection (b).
13    (b) A pharmacist who works 6 continuous hours or longer
14per day shall be allowed to take, at a minimum, one 30-minute
15uninterrupted meal break and one 15-minute break during that
166-hour period. If such pharmacist is required to work 12
17continuous hours per day, at a minimum, he or she qualifies for
18an additional 15-minute break. A pharmacist who is entitled to
19take such breaks shall not be required to work more than 5
20continuous hours, excluding a 15-minute break, before being
21given the opportunity to take a 30-minute uninterrupted meal
22break. If the pharmacy has a private break room available, or
23if there is a private break room in the establishment or

 

 

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1business in which the pharmacy is located, a pharmacist who is
2entitled to breaks must be given access to that private break
3room and allowed to spend his or her break time in that room.
4    (c) A pharmacy may, but is not required to, close when a
5pharmacist is allowed to take a break under subsection (b). If
6the pharmacy does not close, the pharmacist shall either
7remain within the licensed pharmacy or within the
8establishment in which the licensed pharmacy is located in
9order to be available for emergencies. In addition, the
10following applies:
11        (1) pharmacy technicians, student pharmacists, and
12    other supportive staff authorized by the pharmacist on
13    duty may continue to perform duties as allowed under this
14    Act;
15        (2) no duties reserved to pharmacists and student
16    pharmacists under this Act, or that require the
17    professional judgment of a pharmacist, may be performed by
18    pharmacy technicians or other supportive staff; and
19        (3) only prescriptions that have received final
20    verification by a pharmacist may be dispensed while the
21    pharmacist is on break, except those prescriptions that
22    require counseling by a pharmacist, including all new
23    prescriptions and those refill prescriptions for which a
24    pharmacist has determined that counseling is necessary,
25    may be dispensed only if the following conditions are met:
26            (i) the patient or other individual who is picking

 

 

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1        up the prescription on behalf of the patient is told
2        that the pharmacist is on a break and is offered the
3        chance to wait until the pharmacist returns from break
4        in order to receive counseling;
5            (ii) if the patient or other individual who is
6        picking up the prescription on behalf of the patient
7        declines to wait, a telephone number at which the
8        patient or other individual who is picking up the
9        prescription on behalf of the patient can be reached
10        is obtained;
11            (iii) after returning from the break, the
12        pharmacist makes a reasonable effort to contact the
13        patient or other individual who is picking up the
14        prescription on behalf of the patient and provide
15        counseling; and
16            (iv) the pharmacist documents the counseling that
17        was provided or documents why counseling was not
18        provided after a minimum of 2 attempts, including a
19        description of the efforts made to contact the patient
20        or other individual who is picking up the prescription
21        on behalf of the patient; the documentation shall be
22        retained by the pharmacy and made available for
23        inspection by the Board or its authorized
24        representatives for at least 2 years.
25    (c-5) When a pharmacist is not present in the pharmacy, a
26registered pharmacy technician, a registered certified

 

 

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1pharmacy technician, a student pharmacist, and other
2supportive staff shall dispense prescriptions that have
3received final verification by a pharmacist, except those
4prescriptions that require counseling by a pharmacist,
5including all new prescriptions and those refill prescriptions
6for which a pharmacist has determined that counseling is
7necessary.
8    (d) In a pharmacy staffed by 2 or more pharmacists, the
9pharmacists shall stagger breaks so that at least one
10pharmacist remains on duty during all times that the pharmacy
11remains open for the transaction of business.
12    (e) A pharmacy shall keep and maintain a complete and
13accurate record showing its pharmacists' daily break periods.
14    (f) Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply when an
15emergency, as deemed by the professional judgment of the
16pharmacist, necessitates that a pharmacist, student
17pharmacist, or pharmacy technician work longer than 12
18continuous hours, work without taking required meal breaks, or
19have a break interrupted in order to minimize immediate health
20risks for patients.
21(Source: P.A. 101-621, eff. 1-1-20.)