Topic: Law

Marijuana legalization is being emphasized in many state legislatures as the benefits of the drug are overcoming the stigma of the past. While the federal government continues to consider marijuana a Schedule I drug, several states have legalized medical use marijuana and 18 others have made recreational use lawful. Prosecutions by federal agencies are rare and usually limited to other criminal activities, while state prosecutions where marijuana is legal are almost non-existent. The courts are following the states’ initiatives, holding that pharmacist recommendations and counseling are legal.

This program’s goal is to provide healthcare professionals with an update on the ongoing opioid litigation. Over the past years we have seen the opioid crisis ravage communities. The ongoing crisis has spawned an abundance of litigation from manufacturers to wholesalers to retailers. This program will provide an update on the ongoing litigation and how it affects your practice.

One of the most important additions to the pharmacist’s duties and workplace was the counseling requirement created by OBRA-90. Pharmacist knowledge and education were brought to the forefront of practice with this ability to teach and advise patients about their medications and devices. Pharmacists gather patient information, review past medication regimens, and then provide counseling that can greatly enhance compliance and patient understanding of the necessity of their therapy. Alternately, pharmacists must be aware that enhanced responsibilities come with concomitant liability; failure to counsel is the #2 basis for lawsuits against pharmacists.