Compliance and license considerations for hiring pharmacists

Hiring contract pharmacists: what healthcare organizations need to know about pharmacist licensing requirements

• The pharmacist should have a valid license issued by the state’s pharmacy board to practice as a pharmacist in your facility. If the pharmacist hired is licensed in another state, proof of license and endorsement needs to be submitted in the state where your facility is located.
• To verify that the candidate is authorized to work in the state, a detailed professional license verification and license renewal history must be done. Some states provide license verification via the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) portal. 
• A thorough background check is essential to rule out that the candidate does not have any drug abuse issues or criminal background, which can put the patient’s life at risk. Moreover, extensive credentialing is important to verify the educational qualifications, experience, and certifications listed by the candidate. 
• If necessary, make the candidate undergo drug screening after getting consent from the candidate.
• If your facility has the plan to utilize the pharmacists in tele-pharmacy roles, ensure that the pharmacist is licensed to provide tele-pharmaceutical interventions in the state where the patient is residing.

Compliance with employment laws and regulations

• As per federal regulations, pharmacists who dispense controlled substances must have a valid Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration number which needs to be verified and documented by the healthcare facility.
• Some states provide the provision for licensed pharmacists to work alongside physicians to prescribe medications and implement drug therapy. In such states, the healthcare facility needs to ensure that the Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPA) are intact and compliant with the state regulations.
• If the pharmacists are required to provide service to patients covered under Medicare or Medicaid programs, the facility needs to ensure that the pharmacist is compliant with all the regulatory requirements of this program. 
• Healthcare facilities need to ensure that the pharmacists hired are provided a safe working environment as per the healthcare employment laws described under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. 
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) compliance requirements have to be followed which contains the healthcare employment laws governing the wages and working hours of the employees. 
• Anti-discrimination laws need to be strictly adhered to by ensuring that the candidates are not subjected to discrimination based on gender, race, color, national origin, religion, disabilities, or age.
• Finally, the contract terms and conditions need to be carefully drafted and should include all the terms and conditions pertaining to the compensation, termination criteria, and confidentiality clauses. 

How to perform credential verification and background checks?

Verification of the credentials and background check process can be done efficiently by collaborating with an experienced Medical Staffing solutions provider. The credentialing and compliance check process requires utmost care to be taken to navigate any potential risks that may arise in the future. The license of the candidate can be verified via the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) portal. The license status of the candidate, along with their license renewal history are some important checkpoints. National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is a secure and confidential database that contains the healthcare professionals’ professional history including malpractice claims, misconduct information, and adverse license actions taken against them. This database can be utilized for the background verification process. Considering references from previous employers can help facilities with employment history verification and authenticate the credentials submitted by the candidate. 

HIPAA compliance and data privacy

HIPAA compliance requirements are critical in the healthcare sector and the hired pharmacists need to be trained on the HIPAA compliance regulations and data privacy policies. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) lists the federal rules and guidelines related to the data collection, secured storage, and transfer of patient health information (PHI). The law emphasizes the significance of data privacy and stipulates that protected health information must be kept confidential by limiting only authorized personnel to access these collected health records and patient details to secure data privacy. 

Also, in any event of data infringement, the patient needs to be informed as soon as possible. When pharmacists are required to access this protected health information on behalf of the healthcare facility, a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) needs to be signed by the pharmacists. Furthermore, if the pharmacist’s duties include telepharmacy, all essential steps need to be taken by the healthcare facility to ensure adherence to HIPAA regulations during the entire period of practice. This may include using authorized software, establishing secure authentication techniques, and encrypting sensitive patient details. 

According to the data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida is one of the top five states that has the highest employment of pharmacists with 21,360 licensed pharmacists. The  in Florida are clearly mentioned by the Florida Board of Pharmacy on their website, which outlines various permits and types of licenses that the pharmacist needs to take based on their work requirements and eligibility criteria. This includes the Pharmacist Collaborative Practice certification, Immunization administration certification, Out-of-State telehealth provider registration, etc.