(a) The commissioner shall employ inspectors whose duty it shall be to inspect all pharmacies and other places in which drugs and devices are or may be dispensed or retailed, and to report any violations of sections 20-570 to 20-630, inclusive, or other laws relating to drugs and devices and violations of laws regarding pharmacy licenses, nonlegend drug permits, licenses of pharmacists and supervision of pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians.
(b) The commissioner shall inspect correctional or juvenile training institutions and care-giving institutions throughout the state with respect to the handling of drugs, shall report violations of law and make recommendations for improvements in procedures to the authority responsible for the operation of the institution and shall take such other steps as may be necessary to ensure proper and adequate storage, handling and administration of drugs in such institutions. The commissioner may also inspect dispensing outpatient facilities and institutional pharmacies and take such steps as the commissioner considers appropriate to correct deficiencies found in such facilities or institutional pharmacies with respect to their operation.
(c) The commissioner shall inspect each retail pharmacy not less than once every four years and shall develop a methodology to sample prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacies for compliance with state laws concerning the dispensing of prescriptions. Such methodology shall be based on the number of prescriptions received by such retail pharmacies.
(1949 Rev., S. 4479; 1969, P.A. 593, S. 15; P.A. 77-614, S. 205, 610; P.A. 95-264, S. 8; P.A. 99-175, S. 12; P.A. 05-212, S. 3.)
History: 1969 act made employment of inspectors mandatory rather than optional, deleted requirement that inspections be made during usual business hours and included inspections of institutional pharmacies; P.A. 77-614 replaced commission of pharmacies with commissioner of consumer protection, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 95-264 deleted obsolete reference to assistant pharmacist and added Subsec. (b) re commissioner's inspection of correctional, juvenile training and care-giving institutions, dispensing outpatient facilities and institutional pharmacies; Sec. 20-179 transferred to Sec. 20-577 in 1997; P.A. 99-175 made technical and gender neutral changes and amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to Sec. 20-625 with reference to Sec. 20-630; P.A. 05-212 added Subsec. (c) re inspection of retail pharmacies, effective July 6, 2005.
See Sec. 21a-244 re regulations concerning storage and retrieval of prescription information for controlled substances.
Annotation to former section 20-179:
Cited. 207 C. 698.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Section 20-570. - Short title: Pharmacy Practice Act.
Section 20-571. (Formerly Sec. 20-184a). - Definitions.
Section 20-572. (Formerly Sec. 20-163). - Commission of Pharmacy. Appointment and term of members.
Section 20-573. (Formerly Sec. 20-165). - Meetings of commission. Records.
Section 20-574. (Formerly Sec. 20-164a). - Supervision by Commissioner of Consumer Protection.
Section 20-575. - Powers and responsibilities.
Section 20-576. (Formerly Sec. 20-164). - Regulations.
Section 20-576a. - Acceptance and disposal of unused prescription drugs at pharmacies. Regulations.
Section 20-578. (Formerly Sec. 21a-306). - Information not to be disclosed. Exception.
Section 20-580. (Formerly Sec. 20-167). - Revocation or suspension of nonlegend drug permit.
Section 20-581. (Formerly Sec. 20-185). - Penalty for violation of Pharmacy Practice Act. Exception.
Section 20-582. (Formerly Sec. 20-176). - Appeals of decisions of Commission of Pharmacy.
Section 20-583. - Where appeals returnable.
Section 20-591. - Graduates of foreign pharmacy schools. Regulations.
Section 20-596. (Formerly Sec. 20-168b). - Ownership of pharmacies by prescribing practitioners.
Section 20-598. (Formerly Sec. 20-177). - Registration of pharmacy interns.
Section 20-598a. - Registration and certification of pharmacy technicians.
Section 20-599. (Formerly Sec. 20-174a). - Continuing education: Definitions.
Section 20-605. - Practice of pharmacy without license or temporary permit prohibited.
Section 20-606. (Formerly Sec. 20-178). - Use of the title “pharmacist”.
Section 20-611. (Formerly Sec. 20-175b). - Advertising legend drug prices.
Section 20-612. - Only pharmacy may accept prescription for dispensing.
Section 20-617a. - Flavoring agent added to prescription product.
Section 20-618. (Formerly Sec. 21a-107). - Repackaged drugs not considered misbranded, when.
Section 20-623. - Sale of nonlegend drugs. Labels, packaging and contents. Penalty.
Section 20-624. - Permit to sell nonlegend drugs.
Section 20-625. - Nonlegend veterinary drugs.
Section 20-626. - Confidentiality of pharmacy records.
Section 20-627. - Nonresident pharmacy. Definitions. Certificate of registration. Requirements.
Section 20-628. - Shipping, mailing or delivering legend devices or drugs.
Section 20-630. - Advertising.
Section 20-633. - Administration of vaccines by licensed pharmacists. Regulations.
Section 20-633a. - Pharmacy rewards program. Plain language summary. Violation.
Section 20-633b. - Sterile compounding pharmacies. Requirements. Regulations.
Section 20-633c. - Prescribing of opioid antagonists by licensed pharmacists. Regulations.
Section 20-633i. - Issuance of prescriptions for epinephrine auto injectors by pharmacists.
Section 20-636. - Sign re storage and disposal of prescription drugs.