Except as provided below, only a licensed pharmacist may have access to the pharmacy. If the pharmacist is absent from the hospital, nursing facility, hospice program, or other related facility, a registered nurse designated by the hospital, nursing facility, hospice program, or other related facility may obtain, from the pharmacy, a drug or medication necessary to administer to a patient in carrying out treatment and medication orders as prescribed by a licensed prescriber when the drug is not available in floor supplies, or the emergency drug kit, to meet the immediate need of the patient. The nurse shall leave in the pharmacy, on a suitable form, a record of any drugs removed, showing the name of the patient, the name of the drug, the dosage form and strength, the amount taken, and the date and time the drugs were removed, and shall sign the record. The nurse shall leave the record and the container from which the dose was taken, in order that it may be properly checked by the pharmacist. These records must be retained in the pharmacy for two years.

Source: SL 1975, ch 16, § 1; 12 SDR 151, 12 SDR 155, effective July 1, 1986 ; 50 SDR 138, effective June 2, 2024; 52 SDR 27, effective September 15, 2025 .

General Authority: SDCL 36-11-11 (1)(4), 36-11-33 .

Law Implemented: SDCL 36-11-2.2 , 36-11-33 , 36-11-34 , 36-11-68 .

Prior versions effective: 2024-06-02, 1986-07-01.