Allowed
Note: PharmaLink has compiled the information below for reference only. State dispensing regulations change frequently and we recommend consulting an attorney or your state medical or pharmacy board with specific questions or to verify your eligibility to dispense.
Virginia licenses both the practitioner and the premises, and it keeps the physician personally involved in each dispense even where staff assist.
Two licenses, not one
Physicians can dispense medications in-office in Virginia but must first apply for and receive a dispensing license, regardless of whether the physician is dispensing controlled or non-controlled prescription medications.
Each dispensing physician must have his or her own license, and the facility where dispensing occurs must also be licensed. For a group practice this compounds: a three-physician office needs three individual licenses plus one for the facility. Budget the applications accordingly rather than assuming one covers the practice.
The facility may also be subject to periodic inspection, so storage, labeling, and records should be inspection-ready from the outset.
Delegation with the physician on site
The regulation allows a pharmacy technician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant to assist the licensed physician in preparing the drug for dispensing. But the physician must be on site and is responsible for offering to counsel the patient and inspecting the medication, among other requirements.
Virginia therefore permits staff assistance without permitting unsupervised delegation. Preparation can be shared; the counseling offer and the final check cannot. A workflow that assumes staff can complete a dispense while the physician is away from the office does not comply.
For more information, please see the physician white paper issued by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy here. Current application forms are here.
PMP reporting
All covered substances must be reported within 24 hours or by the dispenser’s next business day, with a zero report required for any 24-hour period in which nothing covered was dispensed.
Virginia’s covered list is broad: Schedules II, III and IV; those Schedule V drugs for which a prescription is required; naloxone; all drugs of concern; and cannabidiol or THC-A oil dispensed by a pharmaceutical processor.
Rejected files must be resubmitted within five days of notification, and individual rejected records corrected within the same window.
Dispensing in Virginia with PharmaLink
Dispensing medications to your patients offers meaningful benefits: additional practice revenue, better medication adherence, greater convenience for patients, and fewer pharmacy callbacks for your staff. PharmaLink provides the dispensing software, equipment, and support — so most practices can start dispensing within days of completing their application. PharmaLink does not sell, source, or ship medications; your practice purchases those directly from suppliers you select, under your own licenses.
- Cash & carry dispensing — patients pay at the point of care with transparent pricing.
- Workers' comp dispensing — treat injured workers, with claim data captured for your billing partner.
- Private insurance dispensing — adjudicate claims to your patients' insurance plans.
- Mail order & home delivery — send prescriptions to a fulfillment pharmacy that ships directly to your patients.
If you plan to dispense controlled substances, PharmaLink's software automatically reports to state PDMPs in all states where we operate.