Staff Report with Final Results: Texas State Board of Pharmacy Page: 25
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ISSUE 3
The State Has a Continuing Need to Regulate the Practice of
Pharmacy.
Background
The Legislature created the Texas State Board of Pharmacy in 1907 as an independent regulatory board
to protect the public by ensuring that Texans receive safe and quality pharmaceutical care. The board
accomplishes its mission by regulating the practice of pharmacy, the operation of pharmacies, and the
distribution of prescription drugs. In fiscal year 2015, the board regulated nearly 32,000 pharmacists,
8,000 pharmacies, and 42,000 pharmacy technicians. In fiscal year 2015, the board resolved 5,955
complaints, which resulted in 627 disciplinary orders against licensees and registrants. In addition to
investigating complaints, the board inspects pharmacies to ensure compliance with state law. In fiscal
year 2015, the board completed 2,992 inspections. In fiscal year 2017, the board will begin administering
the Prescription Monitoring Program, a database that tracks the prescribing and dispensing of controlled
substances within Texas to protect patient safety and prevent drug abuse and theft.
Findings
The Texas State Board of Pharmacy has a necessary role to
protect the public by licensing and enforcing standards for the
practice of pharmacy.Prescription drug use continues to increase in Texas and across the United
States. In 2002, when the board was last under Sunset review, Americans
spent nearly $141 billion and averaged a little less than 12 prescriptions per
person.' In 2014, spending on prescription drugs rose to nearly $374 billion, a
13 percent increase over the previous year and more than 2.5 times as much as
was spent in 2002.2 In addition, in 2014 Americans averaged 12.7 prescriptions
per person, filling nearly 4.3 billion prescriptions for the year.3
While prescription drugs are able to cure and treat an ever increasing number
of conditions, they also pose significant risks if not taken correctly and under
proper supervision. The board regulates individuals to ensure their competence
to provide pharmacy services to the public. The board helps ensure patient
safety by requiring counseling for all new prescriptions, so that patients
understand how to properly take their prescriptions and the potential side
effects or interactions with other medications.
In addition, as discussed in Issue 1, the over-prescribing and over-dispensing
of highly addictive drugs such as opioids poses great risk to the public. A
license from the board is a serious responsibility as it allows a pharmacy to
obtain a DEA permit to purchase these controlled substances. Prescription
opioid drugs are extremely addictive, in demand, and have a high street value,
all of which incentivize illicit activities around pharmacies, such as theft and
illegal reselling of prescribed drugs. The board's oversight role remains criticalAmericans
averaged 12.7
prescriptions per
person in 2014.Texas State Board of Pharmacy Staff Report with Final Results
Issue 325
Sunset Advisory Commission
June 2017
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Ogle, Steven; Schiff, Tamara; Hartley, Cee & Teleki, Katharine. Staff Report with Final Results: Texas State Board of Pharmacy, report, June 2017; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1033475/m1/49/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.