Veterinary Access Compounded Pharmaceutical Drugs

The act authorizes a pharmacy to distribute compounded drugs, which are drugs that are combined, mixed, or otherwise altered to create a specific drug or formulation, to a veterinarian to maintain as part of the veterinarian's office stock for later distribution. The act specifically authorizes:

• A compounding pharmacy to compound and distribute a drug to a veterinarian without a specific patient indicated to receive the compounded drug;
• A veterinarian to administer to an animal patient a compounded drug that was maintained for office use;
• A veterinarian to dispense to a human client for later administration to an animal patient a compounded drug, maintained as part of the veterinarian's office stock, in an amount not to exceed 5 days' worth of doses, if a patient has an emergency condition that the compounded drug is necessary to treat and the veterinarian cannot access, in a timely manner, the compounded drug through a compounding pharmacy.

The Colorado board of pharmacy (board) may authorize a pharmacy outlet located outside of Colorado to provide compounded veterinary drugs for office use or office stock if the pharmacy outlet provides the board with a copy of the most recent inspection the pharmacy outlet received from its state of residence and a copy of an inspection from a board-approved third party, and the board approves of the inspection reports as satisfactorily demonstrating proof of compliance with the board's own inspection procedure and standards.

$12,941 is appropriated from the division of professions and occupations cash fund to the department of regulatory agencies (department), $3,440 of which is for the division of professions and occupations to use for operating expenses and $9,501 of which is for the department to purchase legal services.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)