Rule 4729:5-18-04 | Operation of a remote dispensing pharmacy.
(A) A remote dispensing pharmacy shall be located within this state in a building that is zoned for commercial or industrial use. A remote dispensing pharmacy shall not operate out of a personal residence.
(B) Remote dispensing pharmacies shall display a sign at the point of sale indicating that the facility is a remote dispensing pharmacy under continuous video surveillance and that the video is recorded and retained.
(C) The supervising pharmacy shall be exclusively responsible for the operation of a remote dispensing pharmacy and its employees.
(D) There shall be one supervising pharmacist at all times when the remote dispensing pharmacy is operational. The supervising pharmacist shall be located in this state when serving as a supervising pharmacist.
(E) The supervising pharmacist shall not be located more than fifty miles from a remote dispensing pharmacy under the pharmacist's supervision.
(F) To avoid disruption in pharmacy services, the supervising pharmacy shall have a process in place to ensure there is a pharmacist who meets the training requirements of this chapter if the regularly scheduled supervising pharmacist is unable to provide supervision.
(G) The remote dispensing pharmacy shall be physically staffed by at least two certified pharmacy technicians and/or pharmacy interns for the pharmacy to be open to the public.
(H) Unless a pharmacist is located on-site, there shall be no more than a total of three certified pharmacy technicians and/or pharmacy interns working within a remote dispensing pharmacy.
(I) Unless approved by the board, a supervising pharmacist shall not simultaneously oversee the activities of more than one remote dispensing pharmacy. The board may consider expanding this limit to two remote dispensing pharmacies per one supervising pharmacist. For the board to consider a waiver of this limitation, the supervising pharmacy shall submit documentation, in a manner determined by the board, that sufficiently demonstrates the following:
(1) The prescription volume and workload at the supervising pharmacy allows the supervising pharmacist to safely and effectively oversee more than one remote dispensing pharmacy;
(2) The prescription volume and workload at the remote dispensing pharmacies allows the supervising pharmacist to safely and effectively oversee more than one remote dispensing pharmacy; and
(3) Failure to grant this waiver may negatively impact patient health and access to pharmacy services.
(J) Certified pharmacy technicians, pharmacy interns, and pharmacists shall complete a training program to ensure that the telepharmacy system can be operated in a safe and effective manner. Training documentation shall be maintained at, or accessible by, the remote dispensing pharmacy and be produced for review immediately upon request of agent, officer, or inspector of the board. Remote dispensing pharmacies shall conduct additional training for their employees if any of the following occurs:
(1) The telepharmacy system used by the remote dispensing pharmacy has changed;
(2) The existing telepharmacy system used by the remote dispensing pharmacy has undergone significant updates.
(K) Unless approved by the board, a remote dispensing pharmacy shall not dispense more than an average of one hundred fifty prescriptions per day during a ninety-day period. For the board to consider a waiver of this limitation, a remote dispensing pharmacy shall submit documentation, in a manner determined by the board, that sufficiently demonstrates the following:
(1) The remote dispensing pharmacy is located in a census block that is medium-high (0.5-0.75) or high (greater than 0.75) based upon the social vulnerability index (SVI) as designated by the board's Ohio pharmacy access dashboard (accessible via www.pharmacy.ohio.gov); and
(2) It is not economically feasible for the remote dispensing pharmacy to convert to an outpatient pharmacy as defined by Chapter 4729:5-5 of the Administrative Code.
(L) The responsible person shall perform on-site visits of the remote dispensing pharmacy at least once per quarter. The on-site visit shall be documented by the responsible person and such documentation shall be immediately retrievable at the location licensed as a remote dispensing pharmacy for three years from the date of the visit by the responsible person. As part of this site visit, the responsible person shall conduct a controlled substance inventory in accordance with rule 4729:5-3-07 of the Administrative Code.
(M) In the event that the telepharmacy system is not in operation, the supervising pharmacist shall be physically located on-site to dispense prescriptions.
(N) A remote dispensing pharmacy shall implement a continuous quality improvement program in accordance with rule 4729:5-3-22 of the Administrative Code.
(O) A remote dispensing pharmacy shall comply with all applicable requirements for the operation of an outpatient pharmacy in accordance with Chapter 4729:5-5 of the Administrative Code.
(P) A remote dispensing pharmacy that holds a category III terminal distributor of dangerous drugs license shall maintain a perpetual controlled substance inventory for all controlled substances stocked by the remote dispensing pharmacy. The inventory shall be established in a manner that will provide total accountability in all aspects of controlled substance distribution.
Last updated April 7, 2026 at 7:52 AM
Supplemental Information