Pharmacy Access Partnership
On April 25, 2022 Alaska became the third state to permitpharmacists to provide EC under collaborative protocol with a prescriber.
As with both California and Washington, pharmacist scopeof practice in Alaska pertaining to EC has its own characteristics. Below is asummary of Alaska’s new regulations pertaining to EC, with text in italicsproviding a comparison with California and Washington states.
§ Collaborative protocols may be with either a MD orNurse practitioner.
Comment: Similar to Washington, but different from California where only MD’s may enter into a collaborative protocol with a pharmacist.
§ Protocols must first be approved by the State Boardof Pharmacy.
Comment: Similarto WA, but not CA where Board approval is not required.
§ Protocols are limited to two years, and then must beresubmitted to the State Board for renewal.
Comment: Same asWA, but not CA where protocols have no specified time limit.
§ Regulations require pharmacists to have training on EC – Alaska’s recommended pharmacy training program is the online EC program at www.aphanet.org
Comment: Similar training requirements exist for CAand WA, although both states, possibly because of their less rural nature,favor live programs.
§ Regulations require a plan for providing authorizingpractitioner with EC patient information, and stipulate a quarterly reviewprocess.
Comment: Similar toWA, which requires aggregate information to be sent quarterly to prescriber,but not CA where law is very general on issue of review and documentation.
§ Protocols may apply to whole community includingindividuals with no established relationship with a provider, althoughprescriber can establish limits.
Comment: Theoretically, the same is true for both CA and WA, although to myknowledge, neither state has implemented restrictions on EC protocols.