Montana Board of Pharmacy

We are available to assist customers through our online public portal at EBIZ.MT.GOV/POL (Professional and Occupational Licenses). For all renewals, please renew online. We can be reached at (406) 444-6880.

Welcome to the Montana Board of Pharmacy

The Board of Pharmacy makes every effort to include on this web site all relevant information pertaining to the licensing and regulation of the following license types:

• Individuals: Pharmacists, Certified Pharmacy Technicians, Provisional Certified Pharmacy Technicians (formerly Technician-in-Training), Interns, Dangerous Drug Researchers, and Medical Practitioner Dispensers.
• Facilities: Community Pharmacies, Hospital/Institutional Pharmacies, Out-of-State Mail Order Pharmacies, Limited Service Pharmacies, Outpatient Surgical Centers, and Wholesale Drug Distributors.

Final Rule Implementing 2023 Legislation – SB 112 Pharmacist Prescribing Authority, Effective 12/23/2023

• Statute: 37-7-106, MCA, Pharmacist Prescribing Authority – Exceptions, and
• Rule: ARM 24.174.505, Pharmacist Prescribing: General Requirements

The final rule, MAR 24-124-80, responds to comments received, adopts New Rule I (ARM 24.174.505) exactly as proposed, and became effective December 23, 2023.

The adopted final rule text is currently available in the proposed rule and will eventually be listed online with the other Board rules.

Additional summary/FAQ information will be available soon on the Board’s webpage at www.pharmacy.mt.gov. For additional information, please contact Marcie Bough, PharmD, Executive Officer, at 406-841-2371, or dlibsdpha@mt.gov

• The2024 Montana Statewide Standing Order for Naloxone Opioid Antagonist, effective January 1, 2024, is available with additional program details here.
• The Help Save Lives from Overdose Act, House Bill 333 (2017), increases access to naloxone pursuant to 50-32-601 through 611, MCA.
• Information from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) on opioids, overdose, naloxone access, and fentanyl test strips is available here.

• Naturopathic Physician Prescribing: SB 100 expands naturopathic physician prescribing authority, effective August 27, 2023. This legislation removed the terms “natural” and “natural substances” from the formulary list restrictions. The final rule amends the formulary list to accommodate the authority for all legend drugs and other items, except for those drugs listed in rule.
  • See amended rule ARM 24.111.511, Naturopathic Physician Formulary List, for details.
  • ARM 24.111.614, Educational Requirements for Administration of Drugs
  • ARM 24.111.615, Obtaining, Storing, and Disposing of Drugs
  • ARM 24.111.616, Use of Formulary Drugs

  Regarding naturopathic physician dispensing, the 2023 Legislature also passed SB 101, authorizing naturopathic physicians to dispense medications directly to their own patients using a Medical Practitioner Dispenser registration issued by the Board of Pharmacy. This legislation adds naturopathic physicians, pursuant to their formulary list, to the dispensing requirements and restrictions in place for medical practitioners. See below statutes and rules for details:

  • 37-2-101, MCA, Definitions
  • 37-2-104(1-9), MCA, Prescribing and Dispensing of Drugs
  • ARM 24.174.1801 through 1803, Medical Practitioner Dispensing
  • ARM 24.111.511, Naturopathic Physician Formulary List

  Recently, the Department of Labor & Industry was notified of licensees being contacted by someone pretending to be calling from the Board of Pharmacy demanding to speak to the licensee urgently regarding a Board or “FBI” investigation of their license, sanctions, or something similar. Please be aware the Board will never let a licensee know of an investigation in this manner. If you want to verify contact by someone reaching out from the Board or the Department of Labor & Industry, please call (406) 841-2300. If you are contacted by someone stating they are from the Board of Pharmacy or the Department of Labor & Industry, but you have not received written communication indicating this, please report it to your local law enforcement officials.

  • If you are certified by PTCB or ExCPT/NHA the license will be issued as a full Certified Pharmacy Technician license, PHA-PTE-LIC-###.
  • If you are not certified yet, the license will be issued as a PROVISIONAL Certified Pharmacy Technician license, PHA-PTE-PRV-###, formerly issued as Technician-in-Training. You have one year to submit proof of certification – DO NOT submit a new application as the same license record will be used to issue a full certified license.
  • Character references are no longer required.
  • Apply online at: https://ebiz.mt.gov/pol/Default.aspx, create an account, select “Start a New License Application”, select “New Health Care License”, then select Board of Pharmacy and select the Certified Pharmacy Technician application from the drop down list.
  • A pharmacist is permitted to change or add a patient’s address and date of birth.
  • After verbal consultation with the prescriber, a pharmacist is permitted to change or add the following prescription information to a Schedule II prescription order:
    • Dosage form
    • Drug strength
    • Drug quantity
    • Directions for use

    The Board will continue to monitor for any future DEA activity on this issue.

    Below is the August 2022 statement provided by DEA:

    “In the past few months, DEA has received an increasing number of questions concerning pharmacists’ ability to add or modify information—like a patient’s address—on paper prescriptions. To address these questions, DEA has been reviewing the relevant regulations and working to draft new regulations to address this issue. As an interim measure, pharmacists are permitted to adhere to state regulations or policy regarding those changes that a pharmacist may make to a schedule II prescription after oral consultation with the prescriber.”

    • Writing prescriptions for medications, including controlled substances, or related prescriptive authority license or renewal requirements
    • The Montana Prescription Drug Registry (MPDR) program and related mandatory registration and use requirements
    • Providing drug samples to patients
    • In-office administration of medications to patients
    • Inpatient practice locations
    • Emergency services and related dispensing managed through a pharmacy
    • Occasional dispensing of medications by a medical practitioner but not as a usual course of doing business
    • Pharmacies

    Who is eligible to apply?
    Physicians, Dentists, Optometrists, Podiatrists, Physician Assistants, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) with Prescriptive Authority are eligible to apply. You must be located in Montana. See 37-2-101(7), MCA, for more information.

    Why is there a new registration?
    The Montana Board of Pharmacy is implementing a new dispenser registration based on Senate Bill 374 (2021), dispensing of drugs by medical practitioners, that was enacted into law during the 2021 Montana Legislative Session.

    Please see the eligibility questions below for the application to see if you qualify:
    1 - Is your medical office or practice location physically located in the State of Montana?
    If no – You do not need to apply. You must have a physical dispensing location in the State of Montana to qualify for this license.

    2 - Do you only write prescriptions for your patients to be filled at a pharmacy?
    If yes – You do not need to apply. This registration is not needed for providing prescriptions to be filled at a pharmacy.

    3 - Do you only provide drug samples to your patients from your practice location and/or is your dispensing limited to providing drug samples?
    If yes – You do not need to apply. This registration is not needed for providing drug samples directly to your patients.

    4 - Do you plan to dispense prescription medications directly to your patients from your medical office or practice location and NOT have the patient fill a prescription at a pharmacy?
    If no - You do not need to apply. This registration is intended only for medical practitioners who dispense from their practice locations.

    Instructions for how to apply
    Visit our online portal at EBIZ.MT.GOV/POL. Click “Start a New License Application.” Choose “New Health Care License.” Then select “Pharmacy.” Then select the “Medical Practitioner Dispenser Application” and complete your application.

    Statutes and Rules
    Registrants must comply with dispensing authority requirements outlined in statute and rule:

    • Statute: 37-2-104(1)-(7), MCA, Dispensing Of Drugs By Medical Practitioners – Registration – Exceptions.
    • Rules: ARM 24.174.1801, 1802, and 1803, Medical Practitioner Dispensing, issued by the Montana Board of Pharmacy regarding qualifications, dispenser requirements, and recordkeeping requirements.

    For more information, please see this FAQ.

    • ARM 24.174.301 Definitions
    • ARM 24.174.524 Collaborative Practice Agreement Requirements
    • ARM 24.174.835 Transfer of Prescriptions
    • ARM 24.174.1111 Drug Distribution and Control in an Institutional or Correctional Facility
    • ARM 24.174.1114 Use of Drug Kits in Certain Institutional Facilities
    • ARM 24.174.1412 Additions, Deletions, and Rescheduling of Dangerous Drugs
    • ARM 24.174.2106 Registered Pharmacist Continuing Education – Approved Programs
    • ARM 24.174.701, Pharmacy Technician Registration Requirements
      • Provides for Montana health care licensees authorized to administer vaccines under their own scope of practice to assist a pharmacist(s) in administering vaccines, in compliance with state and federal requirements, under supervision of a pharmacist.
      • A health care licensee does not need a separate pharmacy technician license issued by the Board and their own license must be displayed at the pharmacy.
      • A TUP must reflect the use of health care licensees to assist pharmacists in administration of vaccines.
      • The previous 1:4 pharmacist to pharmacy technician ratio has been removed and a staffing ratio is to be determined by the pharmacist-in-charge; interns do not count against the ratio.
      • The amendments provide for the pharmacist-in-charge to ensure that the number of pharmacy technicians on duty can be satisfactorily supervised by the pharmacist(s) on duty to ensure patient safety and a safe work environment, provided that certain provisions are met as outlined in the rule, including updates and review of a TUP.
      • Updated TUPs should be submitted to the Board and will be added to the pharmacy’s license record; submit via email to dlibsdpha@mt.gov.
      • TUPs should also be available for inspection.

      Effective July 1, 2019, any Wholesale Drug Distributor who distributes the initial sale of opioids in Montana is required to have a separate OPIOID SELLER’S LICENSE through the Montana Department of Revenue, pursuant to House Bill 654 (2019), as outlined in 15-64-1001 through 1002, MCA. For information on the Opioid Seller’s License requirements and how to apply, click here.

      • Access Mountain Pacific's DUR Program Newsletter and sign up to receive the newsletter electronically at: https://www.mpqhf.org/corporate/montanans-with-medicaid/pharmacy/
      • The DUR Program Newsletter provides information and updates on: Montana Medicaid Drug Prior Authorization; Preferred Drug List (PDL); Montana Medicaid Drug Utilization Review; and other activities.