Assigned to HHS FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2627
pharmacies; emergency authority
Purpose
Requires the rules adopted by the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy (Board) relating to the
emergency provision of pharmaceutical care and drug device delivery to allow pharmacies owned
by a health system to compound and repackage prescription drugs on a nonpatient-specific basis
during a declared natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Background
If a natural disaster or terrorist attack occurs and, as a consequence, a state of emergency
is declared by the Governor or by a county, city or town and the declared state of emergency results
in individuals being unable to refill existing prescriptions, the Board must cooperate with the State
of Arizona and the county, city or town to ensure the provision of drugs, devices and professional
services to the public. If a state of emergency is declared by the Governor of another state and the
declared state of emergency results in individuals being temporarily relocated to Arizona and
unable to refill existing prescriptions, the Board must cooperate with the State of Arizona to ensure
the provision of drugs, devices and professional services to the relocated individuals.
The Board may adopt rules for the provision of pharmaceutical care and drug and device
delivery during a declared emergency that is the consequence of a natural disaster or terrorist
attack, including the use of temporary or mobile pharmacy facilities and nonresident licensed
pharmacy professionals. When a state of emergency is declared, a pharmacist may work in the
affected county, city or town and dispense a one-time emergency refill prescription of up to a
30-day supply of the prescribed medication if: 1) in the pharmacist's professional opinion the
medication is essential to the maintenance of life or to the continuation of therapy; and 2) the
pharmacist makes a good faith effort to reduce the information to a written prescription marked
emergency prescription and files and maintains the prescription as required by law. If the state of
emergency continues for at least 21 days after the pharmacist dispenses an emergency prescription,
the pharmacist may dispense one additional emergency refill prescription of up to a 30-day supply
of the prescribed medication. A pharmacist's authority to dispense emergency prescription refills
ends when the declared state of emergency is terminated (A.R.S. ยง 32-1910).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires Board rules relating to the provision of pharmaceutical care and drug device delivery
during a declared state of emergency to allow pharmacies owned by a health system to
compound and repackage prescription drugs on a nonpatient-specific basis for patients of that
health system during a declared emergency caused by a natural disaster or terrorist attack. FACT SHEET
H.B. 2627
Page 2
2. Specifies that a pharmacist's authority to compound or repackage prescriptions ends when the
declared state of emergency is terminated.
3. Makes technical changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 2/17/25 DPA 12-0-0-0
3
rd
Read 3/4/25 58-0-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 17, 2025
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