June 12, 2014 — The Oregon State Board of Pharmacy is the 2013 recipient of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Fred T. Mahaffey Award which was presented during NABP’s 109th Annual Meeting and Conference in St. Louis on May 21. This is the second time Oregon has received the award. The Mahaffey award is granted to recognize a member board of pharmacy that has made a substantial contribution to the protection of the public health and welfare through the enforcement of state and federal laws and regulations. It is the Association’s highest honor for a state board of pharmacy.
The award was given to the Oregon Board of Pharmacy in recognition of its adoption of administrative rules defining grounds for discipline of drug outlets (pharmacies) that fail to provide a working environment that protects the health, safety and welfare of patients. The new Oregon rules for patient safety resulted from a survey of pharmacists’ opinions conducted by the Board. These rules have become a model for other state boards of pharmacy and will bring national attention to this important issue.
Significant provisions of OAR 855-041-0016 prohibit advertising or soliciting that may jeopardize patient health, safety, or welfare; prohibit advertising that is false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading; prohibit the outlet from incenting or inducing the transfer of a prescription absent professional rationale; and prohibit the introduction of external factors such as productivity quotas or programs such as time limits that interfere with the pharmacist's ability to provide appropriate professional services.
Dr. Mahaffey, for whom this award was named, became NABP's third executive director, a position he held for 25 years. One of his most visible accomplishments during his tenure at NABP was to oversee the development of the first standardized national licensure examination for the state boards of pharmacy, the Blue Ribbon Examination, setting the bar for the minimum knowledge and skills required to enter practice. Dr. Mahaffey died on June 19, 2006, at the age of 82.
“The Oregon Board of Pharmacy is honored to receive this prestigious award”, said Board President Ken Wells, RPh, on accepting the award.
