HB170 Alabama 2017 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Elaine Beech
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2017
Title: Pharmacy, State Board of, practice of pharmacy further regulated, inspectors renamed investigators, maximum fees increased, frequency of drug supply chain registration increased, further regulation of entities within drug supply chain provided, resale of compound drug products prohibited, pharmacy technicians, licensure and regulation, Sec. 34-23-32.2 added; Secs. 34-23-152 to 34-23-157, inclusive, repealed; Secs. 20-2-9, 20-2-190, 34-23-1, 34-23-3, 34-23-9, 34-23-30, 34-23-32, 34-23-32.1, 34-23-33, 34-23-70, 34-23-92, 34-23-131, 34-23-159, 34-23-160, 34-23-162 am'd
Summary: HB170 tightens Alabama pharmacy regulation by expanding oversight of the drug supply chain, boosting fees and registrations, and increasing controls on ephedrine/pseudoephedrine to curb illegal drug activity.
What This Bill Does
The bill renames board inspectors to drug investigators with peace-officer powers; it raises and broadens permit and registration fees, and shifts many registrations from biennial to annual for drug supply chain entities. It prohibits shipping legend drugs into the state without a valid permit, requires trading-partner lists on request, and gives the board power to discipline fraudulent registrations. It also adds new requirements for pharmacy technicians, creates a framework for FDA-style compliance under the Drug Quality and Security Act, and establishes a real-time ephedrine/pseudoephedrine tracking system with age checks, stop-sale alerts, and penalties, all overseen by the Alabama Drug Abuse Task Force (ADATF). Repeal of older compounding regulations is included, with a new compounding framework and definitions replacing them.

Who It Affects
Drug supply chain entities (manufacturers, bottlers, packagers, repackagers, third-party logistics providers, private label distributors, wholesale drug distributors, and other supply-chain businesses) and out-of-state shippers, who must obtain annual permits, pay higher or new fees, register annually, and provide trading-partner lists on request, with civil penalties for violations.
Pharmacists, pharmacy owners, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies in Alabama, who face new registration/renewal requirements and continuing education for technicians, requirements for on-site pharmacist supervision, updated compliance rules for handling legend drugs, and potential disciplinary actions for fraudulent registrations or violations.

Key Provisions
Renames board drug inspectors as drug investigators and grants them peace-officer powers (arrest authority, seizures, carry firearms) to enforce pharmacy laws.
Explicitly clarifies pharmacist status as a health care provider and updates definitions related to labs and drugs to reflect regulatory needs.
Increases maximum and sets specified ranges for fees related to new permits, permit renewals, and transfers; implements annual registration for many drug supply chain entities and outlines fee structures for out-of-state permits.
Requires annual registration for packagers, third-party logistics providers, private label distributors, and other supply-chain entities; prohibits shipping legend drugs/devices into Alabama without a valid permit and imposes civil penalties for violations; requires permit holders to provide a list of trading partners upon board request.
Authorizes the board to discipline pharmacists who obtain registration by fraudulent means; strengthens oversight of pharmacist registrations and permit compliance.
Adds 34-23-32.2 to require adherence to FDA Drug Quality and Security Act guidelines for supply-chain actors and allows the board to issue permits to various supply-chain entities; establishes board-set fees and fines funded to enforce permits and inspections.
Mandates new and expanded requirements for pharmacy technicians (initial/renewal registration, biennial renewal, continuing education with live components, and penalties for non-compliance).
Creates a real-time ephedrine/pseudoephedrine tracking system (via the State Bureau of Investigations) with stop-sale alerts, age-verification measures, and penalties; includes reporting to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and ADATF, and possible public-private partnerships to implement the system.
Establishes the Alabama Drug Abuse Task Force (ADATF) with defined membership and duties, including reporting to the Legislature and coordinating drug- abuse prevention/training programs; authorizes use of funds for these purposes.
Repeals older compounding-related statutes (34-23-152 to 34-23-157) and replaces them with new compounding provisions (34-23-159 to 34-23-162) and updated definitions.
Requires several cross-referenced updates to ensure consistency with the Drug Quality and Security Act and related FDA guidelines; effective date is the first day of the third month after passage and approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Pharmacy, Alabama State Board of