Pharmacy Access Partnership
On April 25, 2022 Alaska became the third state to permit pharmacists to provide EC under collaborative protocol with a prescriber.
As with both California and Washington, pharmacist scope of practice in Alaska pertaining to EC has its own characteristics. Below is a summary of Alaska’s new regulations pertaining to EC, with text in italics providing a comparison with California and Washington states.
§ Collaborative protocols may be with either a MD or Nurse 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 Board of Pharmacy.
Comment: Similar to WA, but not CA where Board approval is not required.
§ Protocols are limited to two years, and then must be resubmitted to the State Board for renewal.
Comment: Same as WA, 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 CA and WA, although both states, possibly because of their less rural nature, favor live programs.
§ Regulations require a plan for providing authorizing practitioner with EC patient information, and stipulate a quarterly review process.
Comment: Similar to WA, 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 including individuals with no established relationship with a provider, although prescriber can establish limits.
Comment: Theoretically, the same is true for both CA and WA, although to my knowledge, neither state has implemented restrictions on EC protocols.