§34-23-1. Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

(1) ASSOCIATION. The Alabama Pharmacy Association.

(2) BOARD or STATE BOARD. The Alabama State Board of Pharmacy.

(3) CHEMICAL. Any substance of a medicinal nature, whether simple or compound, obtained through the process of the science and art of chemistry, whether of organic or inorganic origin.

(4) DISPENSE. To sell, distribute, administer, leave with, give away, dispose of, deliver, or supply a drug or medicine to the ultimate user or their agent.

(5) DRUGS. All medicinal substances, preparations, and devices recognized by the United States Pharmacopoeia and National Formulary, or any revision thereof, and all substances and preparations intended for external and internal use in the cure, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or animal and all substances and preparations other than food intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or animal.

(6) EXTERN. A candidate for licensure as a pharmacist during the time prior to graduation from an accredited college of pharmacy.

(7) HOSPITAL. An institution for the care and treatment of the sick and injured, licensed by the Alabama State Board of Health and authorized to be entrusted with the custody of drugs and medicines, the professional use of drugs and medicines being under the direct supervision of a medical practitioner or pharmacist.

(8) INTERN. An individual who is currently licensed by this state to engage in the practice of pharmacy while under the personal supervision of a pharmacist and is satisfactorily progressing toward meeting the requirements for licensure as a pharmacist; or a graduate of an approved college of pharmacy who is currently licensed by the State Board of Pharmacy for the purpose of obtaining practical experience as a requirement for licensure as a pharmacist; or a qualified applicant awaiting examination for licensure.

(9) LEGEND DRUG. Any drug, medicine, chemical, or poison bearing on the label the words, "caution, federal law prohibits dispensing without prescription," or similar wording indicating that such drug, medicine, chemical, or poison may be sold or dispensed only upon the prescription of a licensed medical practitioner.

(10) LICENSE. The grant of authority by the State Board of Pharmacy to a person authorizing him or her to engage in the practice of pharmacy in this state.

(11) MANUFACTURER. A person, except a pharmacy, who prepares, derives, produces, compounds, or packages any drug, medicine, chemical, or poison.

(12) MEDICAL PRACTITIONER. Any physician, dentist, or veterinarian, or any other person authorized by law to treat, use, or prescribe medicine and drugs for sick and injured human beings or animals in this state.

(13) MEDICINE. Any drug or combination of drugs that has the property of curing, diagnosing, preventing, treating, or mitigating diseases or that which may be used for those purposes.

(14) PATENT OR PROPRIETARY MEDICINES. Completely compounded nonprescription packaged drugs, medicines, and nonbulk chemicals which are sold, offered, promoted, or advertised by the manufacturer or primary distributor under a trademark, trade name, or other trade symbol, and the labeling of which conforms to the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; provided, that this definition shall not include:

a. Drugs which are only advertised and promoted professionally to licensed physicians, dentists, or veterinarians by manufacturers or primary distributors.

b. A narcotic or drug containing a narcotic.

c. A drug the label of which bears substantially either the statements "caution--federal law prohibits dispensing without prescription" or "warning--may be habit-forming".

d. A drug intended for injection.

(15) PERMIT. The grant of authority by the State Board of Pharmacy to any person, firm, or corporation authorizing the operation of a pharmacy, wholesale drug distributor, repackager, bottler, manufacturer, or packer of drugs, medicines, chemicals, or poisons for medicinal purposes. Nonresident wholesale drug distributors registered with the appropriate agency, in the state in which they are domiciled, and operating in compliance with Prescription Drug Marketing Act standards, shall be allowed to do business in this state. No permit shall be required of any physician licensed to practice medicine for any act or conduct related to or connected with his or her professional practice.

(16) PERSON. Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, trust, or other entity.

(17) PHARMACIST. Any person licensed by the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy to practice the profession of pharmacy in the State of Alabama and whose license is in good standing.

(18) PHARMACY. A place licensed by the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy in which prescriptions, drugs, medicines, medical devices, chemicals, and poisons are sold, offered for sale, compounded, or dispensed, and shall include all places whose title may imply the sale, offering for sale, compounding, or dispensing of prescriptions, drugs, medicines, chemicals, or poisons.

(19) PHARMACY SERVICES PERMIT. Certain services performed by a pharmacy, as defined by board rule, and specifically excluding, the receipt or inventory of drugs, medicines, chemicals, poisons, or medical devices. This subdivision, and any rule promulgated by the board pursuant to this subdivision, may not be interpreted to expand the practice of pharmacy as the practice of pharmacy and permits are limited by this section and Sections 34-23-11 and 34-23-70, or to restrict the practice of medicine as defined in Section 34-24-50.

This subdivision, and any rule promulgated by the board pursuant to this subdivision, is subject to the restrictions contained in subsection (b) of Section 34-23-30.

This subdivision shall not be interpreted to allow the board to promulgate any rule that would authorize a pharmacist to sell, offer for sale, or dispense any prescription drug except pursuant to the terms of a valid prescription issued by a licensed practitioner authorized to prescribe such drug.

(20) POISON. Any substance other than agricultural products and pesticides which when applied to, introduced into, or developed within the body in relatively small quantities by its inherent chemical action uniformly produces serious bodily injury, disease, or death.

(21) PRECEPTOR. A person who is duly licensed to practice pharmacy in the state and meets the requirements as established by the State Board of Pharmacy.

(22) PRESCRIPTION. Any order for drug or medical supplies, written or signed or transmitted by word of mouth, telephone, telegraph, closed circuit television, or other means of communication by a legally competent practitioner, licensed by law to prescribe and administer such drugs and medical supplies intended to be filled, compounded, or dispensed by a pharmacist.

(23) PROFESSIONAL DEGREE. A degree in pharmacy requiring a minimum of five academic years.

(24) REPACKAGER. A person who purchases or acquires from a manufacturer or distributor, a drug, medicine, chemical, or poison for the purpose of bottling, labeling, or otherwise repackaging for sale or distribution. This definition shall not apply to a physician licensed to practice medicine who as a part of his or her professional practice dispenses, administers, sells, or otherwise distributes any drug to a patient.

(25) SALE. Barter, exchange, or gift, or offer of barter, exchange, or gift, and shall include each transaction made by any person, whether a principal, proprietor, agent, servant, or employee.

(26) WHOLESALE DRUG DISTRIBUTORS. A person engaged in the business of distributing drugs and medicines for resale to pharmacies, hospitals, practitioners, government agencies, or other lawful outlets permitted to sell drugs or medicines. The sale, purchase, or trade of a drug by a retail pharmacy to another retail pharmacy or practitioner, for relief of temporary shortages, is exempt from this definition. Also exempt from this definition shall be (a) intracompany sales, (b) manufacturer and distributor sales representatives who distribute drug samples, (c) charitable organizations distributing to nonprofit affiliates of that organization, (d) certain purchases by hospitals or other health care entities that are members of a group purchasing organization, and (e) the distributors of blood and blood components.

(Acts 1966, Ex. Sess., No. 205, p. 231, §2; Acts 1991, No. 91-475, p. 860, §1; Act 98-643, p. 1414, §1; Act 2012-213, p. 381, §1.)