Progressing through the process in the West Virginia Legislature is House Bill 4026, sought by the West Virginia Pharmacists Association, that will negate the current law limiting only pharmacists or certified pharmacy technicians to conduct monetary transactions from behind the prescription counter.
“Current law imposes expenses on retail pharmacies, impedes the processing of third party claims and slows down the dispensing of prescriptions,” said Richard Stevens, WVPA Executive Director. “Passage of House Bill 4026 will eliminate the onerous requirement that only a pharmacy technician or pharmacist may operate the cash register when collecting cash from a customer or electronic system when processing a claim with a third party payor.”
The new law reads: “A person who handles a prescription drug only during the point of sale to provide the prescription drug to a patient and accept payment is not subject to the licensure requirements of Chapter 30, Article 5, Section 29 of the Pharmacy Practice Act. This handling process includes the cashier having access to the pharmacy’s operating system to verify unique information for each patient. A pharmacy may require an individual to complete a criminal background check before he or she is hired.”
