Minnesota Board of Pharmacy - Minnesota State Legislature

Board members who serve on the Committee are each paid a $55 per diem and are reimbursed for
mileage. All other members are volunteers who receive no compensation.
Continuing Education Advisory Task Force
Minnesota Statutes §214.12 permits licensing agencies to “promulgate by rule requirements for
renewal of licenses designed to promote the continuing professional competence of licensees”. The
Board has adopted rules that require pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to complete continuing
education. The Board adopted Minnesota Rules 6800.1600 to form the Continuing Education Advisory
Task Force (CEATF) which advises the Board on issues concerning continuing education. The CEATF
reviews CE programs submitted by individual pharmacists and technicians to determine if they meet
the standards found in Minnesota Rules 6800.1500. The CEATF also reviews the applications that are
submitted by individuals and organizations who are applying to become Board-approved providers of
continuing education.
The CEATF consists of two Board members, the Board’s Executive Director, a pharmacy surveyor and
representatives of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association, the Minnesota Society of Health-System
Pharmacists and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. It meets quarterly and prepares a
report that is reviewed and approved by the Board at one of its regularly scheduled business meetings.
Part of the costs associated with the CEATF consists of a portion of the salaries and benefits paid to the
Board’s Executive Director and pharmacy surveyor. The Board members who serve on the Task Force
are each paid a $55 per diem and are reimbursed for mileage. All other members are volunteers who
receive no compensation.
Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Committee
Minnesota Statutes §152.126 requires the Board to administer an electronic system for receiving
certain information for most controlled substances dispensed within the state. The system, which
became fully operational in April of 2010, is called the Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program
(PMP). A detailed description of the PMP is provided in the next section of this report. Subdivision 3 of
the above mentioned section of statute requires the Board to “convene an advisory committee” . . . “to
advise the board on the development and operation of the electronic reporting system”. Consequently,
the Board has established the PMP Advisory Committee (PMPAC) which, pursuant to the statutes,
consists of representatives of the Minnesota Departments of Health and Human Services, each healthrelated
licensing board that licenses prescribers, the Minnesota Medical Association, the Minnesota
Pharmacists Association, the Minnesota Nurses Association, the Minnesota Dental Association, a
consumer privacy advocate and a consumer or patient rights organization.
During the planning and implementation stages of the Prescription Monitoring Program, the PMPAC
met on a regular basis. Currently, the PMPAC meets once or twice each year to receive updates from
the Board’s staff and to offer advice concerning the operation of the program and potential statutory
changes. The PMPAC is staffed by the Board’s PMP Manager and one of the Office Specialists. In
addition, the Board’s Executive Director attends the meetings. Consequently, most of the costs
associated with the Committee consist of a portion of the salaries and benefits paid to those staff
members. All members of the PMPAC are volunteers and receive no compensation for their services.
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