Board of Pharmacy Rule

At the September 4 Board of Pharmacy (BOP) meeting to discuss the proposed rule regarding correctional facilities, cities interests were well represented by many – especially Councilmember Michelle Robles from Mountlake Terrace. We extend a big "thank you" to Michelle and all who participated. After hearing many concerns with their original rule and recognizing the diversity of issues and practice settings, the BOP is now suggesting two separate sets of standards:

Pharmacies in Correctional Facilities; and
Correctional Facilities without Pharmacies.

We appreciate this change and believe it more realistically reflects the differences in small and large facilities. The BOP developed a matrix designed to more easily collect input specific to each section of the rules. In particular, they are looking for thoughts on how the language may affect local jail practice positively or negatively; changes that would better help improve patient safety; comments on whether the language is clearly written; or whether something should be added and why; or whether something is not applicable and why.

Their meeting schedule is available here. The next meeting will focus on correctional facilities that contain a pharmacy and is scheduled for October 1 at the Tumwater Department of Health (310 Israel Rd SE, Tumwater 98501) at 2 pm.

We would encourage all to review the matrix above, and provide comments directly to the Board of Pharmacy.

New Report Shows by Increasing Graduation Rates, Serious Crime Goes Down

Leaders in law enforcement and education gathered in Olympia on September 12 to release a report Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Washington showing that by increasing graduation rates 10 percentage points, 38 murders and 2,600 aggravated assaults will be prevented in Washington every year. The new report, School or the Streets: Crime and Washington’s Dropout Crisis, includes research showing that high-quality early learning is the most effective strategy to increase graduation rates. Among their findings:

High school dropouts are three-and-a-half times more likely than graduates to be arrested and eight times more likely to be incarcerated. In our nation’s state prisons, 68 percent of all inmates failed to earn a high school diploma.
A study conducted by economists on the Perry Preschool program showed that it saved $16 for every $1 invested. By the time the children reached age 40, total savings were $259,000 per child. Of that one-third was in savings from the reduced cost of crime.

In Washington State only half of eligible three- and four-year olds are enrolled in Head Start or the state-funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program due to inadequate funding. The law enforcement officials called on the Washington State Legislature and Congress to expand quality early learning programs for at-risk kids.

For more information about Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Washington, and a copy of the full report, go to www.fightcrime.org/reports/fcik-dropout-wa.pdf.

Parole and Sex Offender Release Hearing Schedules Now Available by County

The Washington State Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB) holds hearings to decide whether offenders are eligible for release from prison. Such hearings are held for offenders who committed crimes before July 1984 and for certain serious sex offenders who committed crimes after August 2001. The ISRB has recently started posting the schedules for these hearings on the agency website.

Victims and survivors of crimes may use the offender’s name to find out if a hearing is scheduled. Others may look up information about hearings for offenders who may reside in their counties. The dates and locations of upcoming hearings are listed. The outcomes of past hearings are also available. The ISRB hearing schedule and outcomes are found at www.fightcrime.org/wa/index.php.

Nightclub License Proposal

The Washington State Liquor Control Board sent out a legislative proposal to stakeholders for review on a proposed new license specifically for nightclubs. The proposal would allow additional local government input in the license process for public safety concerns. Some cities are still concerned with several provisions of the bill with potential impacts for law enforcement, including removal of the cap of the number of liquor licenses statewide and provisions addressing clubs that allow minors. AWC provided some comments on the proposal last week and will continue to monitor this issue.

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