This section identifies the steps prescribers must take before prescribing a controlled substance and the steps pharmacists must take when dispensing a controlled substance from an outpatient pharmacy to check an apple health client's prescription drug history in the prescription monitoring program (PMP) described in chapter 246-470 WAC.

(1) PMP review required. Except as identified in subsection (4) of this section, a prescriber, before prescribing, and a pharmacist, when dispensing, must check all of a client's current prescriptions in the PMP, including any prescriptions not paid for by apple health.

(2) Retrieval by delegates allowed. A prescriber or pharmacist may delegate the retrieval of the client's PMP information to anyone in their practice setting with authorization to access the PMP, so long as the prescriber or pharmacist reviews all of the client's current prescriptions in the PMP before prescribing or when dispensing a controlled substance.

(3) Documentation. The prescriber and pharmacist must document in the client's record the date and time of the:

(a) Retrieval of information from the PMP; and

(b) Review of information from the PMP.

(4) Good faith effort exception.

(a) If a prescriber, pharmacist, or their delegate is unable to access the client's record in the PMP after a good faith effort, that attempt must be documented in the client's record.

(b) A prescriber or pharmacist must document the reason or reasons they were unable to conduct the check.