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Prescribing

Oregon Board of Pharmacy Adopts Statement on Semaglutide

The Oregon Board of Pharmacy recently adopted a Statement regarding the compounding of semaglutide (sold under the brand names Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy) and other glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.  

Demand for GLP-1 drugs has surged, and some are in short supply. This has resulted in some patients and health care professionals turning to compounded versions of these medications, often marketed and sold from online pharmacies, that are not approved by the FDA.  This can be risky, as non-FDA approved versions do not undergo FDA's review for safety, effectiveness and quality before they are marketed. 

If a pharmacy obtains semaglutide base for potential compounding use, the pharmacy must ensure that the API received is a pharmaceutical-grade product, accompanied by a valid certificate of analysis, and is sourced from an establishment registered with the FDA under section 510 of the FD&C Act. Therefore, “research use only” products, or products produced by establishments which are not registered with the FDA, may not be used for compounding in any circumstance.

Read OBOP's Statement in full here.

Authority to Prescribe Non-FDA-Approved Medications

Oregon Medical Board physicians (MDs and DOs) and physician associates (PAs) are authorized to prescribe medications consistent with the established standards of care, regardless of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, OMB licensees whose scope of practice includes prescribing for reproductive health care may continue to prescribe mifepristone for their patients despite current federal lawsuits involving the medication.

Dispensing Authority

Oregon Medical Board physicians (MDs and DOs) and physician associates (PAs) may not dispense medication until registered with the Board and in commensurate with the collaboration agreement. 

Resources

Distribution of Short-Acting Opioid Antagonists

The Oregon Medical Board, the Oregon State Board of Nursing, and the Oregon Board of Pharmacy encourage all licensees to familiarize themselves with the laws and standards for distributing and dispensing short-acting opioid antagonists to those who may need or request them. Expanded access to short-acting opioid antagonists contributes to broader harm reduction efforts against the opioid crisis and will help save lives.

Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) allows Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances. However, prescribers are not required to transmit controlled substances electronically, and pharmacies are not required to accept electronic prescriptions for controlled substances.
  • Paper prescriptions for schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances are still permissible.
  • Telephone authorization for schedule III, IV, and V controlled substances are still valid.
In Oregon, electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (including schedule II) are permitted only when both of the following criteria are met: The prescriber’s software has been authenticated by a DEA-approved certifying organization, and the pharmacy’s software has been authenticated by a DEA-approved certifying organization. 

Expedited Partner Therapy for Sexually Transmitted Infection

The Oregon Medical Board recognizes that the adequate treatment of sexually transmitted chlamydia and gonorrhea infections has always been a difficult public health issue.  When Chlamydia and gonorrhea are identified in a patient, the adequate treatment and prevention of recurrence in the patient often depends upon treatment of the patient's partner or partners, who may not be available or agreeable for direct examination.

Pain Management 

Oregon Medical Board licensees are advised to read the CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain and Factsheet: CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, and familiarize themselves with the standard of care, specifically the expectation for individualized, shared decision making.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)

The Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is a tool to help health care providers offer patients better care in managing their prescriptions. It contains information provided by Oregon-licensed retail pharmacies. Pharmacies submit prescription data to the PDMP system for all Schedules II, III and IV controlled substances dispensed to Oregon residents. The protected health information is collected and stored securely. All Oregon-licensed physicians and PAs who have a DEA number  will be authorized for an account to access information from the PDMP system.