Pharmacy Classes Flashcards

Pharmacy Classes

• Retail/Community Pharmacy: Known as Class A pharmacy; primary focus on dispensing medications to the public.
• Nuclear Pharmacy: Class B; specializes in dispensing radioactive drugs/devices with strict regulations for waste disposal and licensing.
• Institutional Pharmacy: Class C; operates within healthcare facilities (hospitals, etc.) to provide medications to inpatients.
• Clinic Pharmacy: Class D; no limit on the number of pharmacies supervised by the Pharmacist in Charge (PIC) and requires a formulary.
• Non-resident Pharmacy: Class E; mail-order services for medications, must comply with local regulations.
• Freestanding Emergency Medical Care Center Pharmacy: Class F; operates independently to provide emergency services and requires a licensed pharmacist.
• Central Rx Drug or Medication Order Processing Pharmacy: Class G; sole focus is processing medication orders without maintaining a drug inventory.
• Limited Rx Delivery Pharmacy: Class H; operates in underserved counties and cannot store or deliver controlled substances.

Class B Pharmacy

• Must have a licensed pharmacist and a current radioactive material license.
• Waste disposal for radioactive materials is strictly monitored to protect public health.
• Delivery containers can be reused following strict protocols to prevent contamination.
• Radioactive drug orders cannot be refilled; must adhere to labeling regulations.

Authorized Nuclear Pharmacist

• Requires specialized training in preparation and distribution of radiopharmaceuticals.
• Must be named on the state’s radioactive material license.

Radiopharmaceuticals

• Defined as drugs that emit nuclear particles or photons, used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
• Quality control is critical to ensure identity, purity, non-pyrogenicity, and sterility for human and animal use.

Clinic Pharmacy Regulations

• Must have a reference on adverse drug reactions; the PIC must regularly supervise and audit the pharmacy.
• Formulary includes limited types of drugs; additional requirements for clinics serving a predominantly indigent population.
• Drugs must be prepackaged, and nurses/practitioners must educate patients about medications.

Standing Orders

• Standing Delegation Orders: Allow specific medical actions without prior physician examination for patients with defined conditions.
• Standing Medical Orders: Require prior patient evaluation by a physician before treatment.

Formulary Limitations

• Limited to specific categories of drugs (antibiotics, vitamins, etc.); cannot include controlled substances or specific drugs like nalbuphine.

Class F Pharmacy Focus

• Must have locked storage for controlled substances and requires a reference library on drug interactions.

Class G Pharmacy Features

• Known as a purely processing pharmacy without physical drug inventory; can operate with a higher pharmacy-to-pharmacist ratio.

Class H Pharmacy Operational Restrictions

• Must be located in a county without another pharmacy; cannot store controlled substances; medications must be utilized or destroyed within a limited timeframe.