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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="3-401" title_number="3" title_name="County Boards of Health; Health Officers" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Registered Nurses Personally Preparing and Dispensing Drugs and Devices in Local Health Departments">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>“Authorized prescriber” means a licensed registered nurse, licensed dentist, licensed physician, licensed physician’s assistant, licensed podiatrist, or other individual authorized by law to prescribe prescription or nonprescription drugs or devices.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>“Committee” means the Committee on Registered Nurses Personally Preparing and Dispensing Drugs and Devices in Local Health Departments.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Device” means an item used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Device” does not include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Surgical or dental instruments;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Physical therapy equipment;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>X–ray apparatuses; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Component parts of or accessories for any of the items described in items (i) through (iii) of this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Dispense” means a procedure that results in the receipt of a drug or device by a patient or a patient’s agent.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Dispense” includes:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Interpreting an authorized prescriber’s prescription for a drug or device;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Selecting and labeling the drug or device prescribed;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Measuring and packaging the drug or device in accordance with State and federal law; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Documenting the transaction in the patient’s medical record.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>“Drug” means, unless the context requires otherwise, a prescription or nonprescription drug.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>“Formulary” means a list of drugs and devices.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>“Nonprescription drug” means a drug that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>May be sold without a prescription; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Is labeled for use by a consumer in accordance with State and federal law.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>“Personally prepare and dispense” means to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Physically prepare a prescription;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Perform a final check of the prescription before dispensing it to a patient; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Not delegate any step of the dispensing process.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <text>“Prescription drug” means a drug that, under § 21–220 of this article, may be dispensed only on the prescription of an authorized prescriber.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="k">
    <text>“Registered nurse” means an individual who:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Is licensed by the State Board of Nursing to practice registered nursing under Title 8 of the Health Occupations Article; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Personally prepares and dispenses drugs and devices in a local health department:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>In accordance with the Overdose Response Program under Title 13, Subtitle 31 of this article or the Expedited Partner Therapy Pilot Program under § 18–214.1 of this article; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>To patients in need of communicable disease, alcohol and drug abuse, family planning, or reproductive health services.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
