CT MPJE cheat sheet

Connecticut pharmacist licenses are issued by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP); the Board of Pharmacy serves in an advisory capacity.

Practicing pharmacy or using the title pharmacist without a Connecticut license is prohibited; pharmacy interns and technicians must be registered with DCP.

A pharmacist license must be renewed with DCP; renewal requires meeting Connecticut continuing education requirements and disclosing required legal or disciplinary information.

Pharmacist scope includes dispensing, compounding, patient counseling, drug therapy review, immunization administration under authorized protocols, and collaborative practice as allowed by Connecticut law.

Pharmacy technicians perform delegated tasks under pharmacist supervision; final prescription verification and patient counseling remain pharmacist responsibilities.

Pharmacies dispensing to Connecticut patients from outside the state must hold a Connecticut nonresident pharmacy registration and comply with Connecticut labeling and record requirements.

DCP may deny, suspend, or revoke a license for unprofessional conduct, including dispensing without a valid prescription, impairment, fraud, or failure to maintain required records.

A pharmacist must maintain professional competency and comply with Connecticut laws and regulations governing pharmacy practice, including recordkeeping and patient safety obligations.

A valid prescription identifies the patient, date, drug name, strength, dosage form, quantity, directions, prescriber, refills, and, for controlled substances, the prescriber's DEA number.

Before dispensing, the pharmacist verifies prescription authenticity, prescriber authority, patient identity, legal requirements, and clinical appropriateness; questionable orders require prescriber clarification.

Connecticut permits generic substitution of an FDA-approved therapeutically equivalent product unless the prescriber indicates brand medically necessary or the patient refuses; the label must reflect substitution as required.

A Connecticut prescription label must include pharmacy name and address, prescription number, date, patient name, prescriber, drug name and strength, directions, quantity, expiration date, and required warnings.

Schedule II prescriptions may not be refilled; Schedule III through V prescriptions may be refilled up to five times within six months of the issue date unless the prescriber specifies fewer.

Prescription transfers between pharmacies are permitted under Connecticut and federal rules; controlled substance transfers require specific documentation, including transfer date, pharmacist identity, and refill information.

The pharmacist must perform a prospective drug utilization review and offer patient counseling before dispensing; the offer and any refusal should be documented per pharmacy policy.

An emergency oral Schedule II order may be dispensed only if the prescriber provides a written or electronic prescription within seven days.

Connecticut controlled substance schedules mirror the federal Controlled Substances Act; pharmacists must comply with both federal DEA and Connecticut DCP requirements.

Schedule II prescriptions must be written or electronic; emergency oral Schedule II orders require a follow-up written or electronic prescription within seven days.

Schedule II prescriptions cannot be refilled; Schedule III through V prescriptions may be refilled up to five times within six months of issuance.

Connecticut dispensers must report controlled substance dispensing to the Connecticut Prescription Monitoring Program, generally by the next business day, with patient, prescriber, drug, quantity, and date information.

Connecticut law limits an initial opioid prescription for acute pain to a seven-day supply, subject to exceptions such as cancer, palliative care, or chronic pain treatment.

Pharmacists may dispense naloxone under a standing order or protocol to persons at risk of opioid overdose and must provide required education and documentation.

Theft or significant loss of controlled substances must be reported to DEA and Connecticut DCP, and the pharmacy must maintain records of the loss and corrective action.

Pharmacists should query the Connecticut PMP when clinically indicated and as required by Connecticut law or pharmacy policy before dispensing controlled substances.

The pharmacist must offer counseling for each new prescription and when requested, covering drug name, directions, precautions, interactions, storage, and refill information.

Prospective drug utilization review screens for therapeutic duplication, drug-drug interactions, allergies, contraindications, incorrect dose or duration, and abuse or misuse.

DUR findings must be resolved with the prescriber when clinically significant or documented with the pharmacist's professional judgment and action taken.

Patient records should include allergies, relevant diagnoses when available, medication history, and prior adverse reactions; records should be updated at dispensing.

Counseling may be provided in person or by appropriate written or electronic means when permitted; the offer and any refusal should be documented per policy.

Drugs subject to a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy may require specific counseling, enrollment, or safe-use documentation before dispensing.

Medication errors and adverse drug events should be documented and reported according to facility policy and Connecticut requirements.

Pharmacists should use available patient safety tools, including auxiliary labels, medication guides, and reminder systems, to support safe medication use.

Nonsterile compounding follows USP <795>; sterile compounding follows USP <797>; both require written standard operating procedures, training, and quality assurance.

Beyond-use dates for compounded preparations must be assigned using USP default tables or documented stability data and must not exceed USP limits without justification.

Sterile compounding requires an ISO-classified environment, validated processes, trained personnel, proper garb, environmental monitoring, and documented cleaning.

A master formulation record includes ingredients, quantities, equipment, procedure, beyond-use date, and labeling for a compounded preparation.

A compounding record documents the specific batch, including component lot numbers and expiration dates, quantities used, compounder and verifier, date, final yield, and assigned beyond-use date.

Hazardous drug compounding follows USP <800> requirements for containment, negative pressure, personal protective equipment, and waste handling.

Sterile preparations must be inspected for particulates, container integrity, and labeling; high-risk preparations require sterility testing and documented controls as required by USP <797>.

Compounding must use acceptable components and containers, and the pharmacy must maintain records sufficient to trace each compounded preparation.

Federal law requires controlled substance records, including receipts, dispensings, inventories, and disposal documents, to be maintained for at least two years and be readily retrievable for DEA inspection.

A controlled substance inventory must be taken every two years; Schedule II requires an exact count, while Schedules III through V may be estimated if the container holds more than 1,000 units.

DEA Form 222 or its electronic CSOS equivalent is required to order Schedule II controlled substances and must be completed, retained, and matched to received product.

Prescription and dispensing records must be readily retrievable; electronic records require backup, audit trails, and protection from alteration.

DSCSA transaction information, transaction history, and transaction statements must be retained for six years and made available to FDA or authorized trading partners upon request.

HIPAA documentation, including policies, training records, and disclosures, must be retained as required, and the pharmacy must provide a notice of privacy practices.

Pharmacy records must be available for inspection by DCP and other authorized agencies; confidentiality must be maintained under HIPAA and Connecticut law.

Records of compounding, including master formulation and compounding records, must be maintained and traceable to each preparation.

In long-term care facilities, a consultant pharmacist must review each resident's medication regimen at least monthly and report irregularities to the attending physician and facility.

Unit-dose distribution systems require pharmacist review of orders and medication administration records, with documented cart exchange or automated dispensing oversight.

Emergency medication kits in long-term care must be sealed, periodically checked by pharmacy, and used only under a prescriber order with documentation and prompt replacement.

Automated dispensing systems in institutional settings must be secured, pharmacist-supervised, and use audit trails; access is limited to authorized personnel and reviewed for discrepancies.

Institutional pharmacies must hold the appropriate Connecticut pharmacy license and comply with applicable federal and state drug distribution, labeling, and recordkeeping requirements.

Controlled substances in long-term care require proper ordering, storage, accountability, and disposal under DEA and Connecticut rules, including documentation of returns or destruction.

Institutional labeling must ensure safe administration by including drug name, strength, directions, lot number, and expiration date as applicable to the distribution system.

Pharmacists providing consultant services should document recommendations, medication regimen reviews, and follow-up to support patient safety and regulatory compliance.

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits introducing adulterated or misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; pharmacies must dispense drugs that meet federal approval and labeling requirements.

Under DSCSA, pharmacies may accept prescription drugs only from authorized trading partners and must verify suspect products, quarantine them, and notify FDA and the supplier.

DSCSA requires transaction information, transaction history, and transaction statements to be retained for six years and made available to FDA or authorized trading partners.

A Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy imposes safe-use conditions such as prescriber certification, pharmacy certification, patient enrollment, or counseling; dispensing outside REMS requirements violates federal law.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule limits uses and disclosures of protected health information to the minimum necessary for the purpose, except for treatment and certain required disclosures.

The HIPAA Security Rule requires safeguards for electronic protected health information, including access controls, encryption where appropriate, and breach notification procedures.

Pharmacies must comply with federal REMS, DSCSA, and FDCA requirements in addition to Connecticut law; the stricter requirement generally controls when laws differ.

Federal law prohibits false or misleading prescription drug labeling and advertising and requires compliance with medication guide and patient labeling requirements when applicable.