Blog reaction to PA PR from a while back:

So all RPHs in PA and the rest of the 3rd US district of appellate courts (also including NJ, USVI and DE) are now health care providers under this PA decision. What about the rest of the country and outlying territories?

What about the first district of ME, NH, MA,PR and RI? the 2nd of NY, VT, CT? The fourth of MD, VA, WV, NC, SC. The 5th of TX, LA, MS? 6th: TN, KY, OH, MI. 7th IN IL WI? 8: ND, SD, NE, MN, IA, MO, AR? 10 NM, CO, UT, WY, KS, OK? 11 FL AL GA? or the 9th of the remainder of the us?

< Source: http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/images/CircuitMap.pdf >

What does that mean? I must charge a reasonable fee to make copies of my confidential medical records based on my expenses. Yay. I already was charging a reasonable fee. I've seen RPhs give them away for free just because the parent asked for it while picking up a RX.  

Must I charge a fee since paper and ink cost money or if I live in another regional district? Other jurisdictions don't have to agree to other decisioons if they don't want to (per a lawyer and pharmacy law professor). Granted if the court wants to agree they can use it to bolster their arguments. It's not a supreme court decision. It's facts like that which made law students tell me that pharmacy was so much easier because it was consistent.   

 Does that mean much else? Will this make private insurance companies, state or federal agencies consider paying for my drug knowledge? How about MTM? Will this allow me to write RXs for patients when they lack a RX, but are short of medicine? Will this allow me to fill pain relieving RXs without worrying about the DEA, board of pharmacy, police or a boss getting mad at me?

 Will I be able to give whatever injection I feel like? To all questions there is one answer. No.